9 Weeks: The Sad Story of Mr Baldwin
by Porter Bailey
Summary: An interesting back story on Mr. Baldwin and his pregnancy. Told from Mr. Baldwin's POV. Contains mpreg, mild language, and refrences to adult situations.
1. Positive

Chapter 1: Positive

I sat on my couch and stared at the test which lay in my pale, green hand. For once in my mediocre life, it was not a test a student had taken. I had taken it, and I was waiting for the outcome. I guess I should tell you that it was a pregnancy test. An obscure, white test with a picture of a stereotypical seahorse on the end of it.

'I didn't even know they made one specifically for seahorses...' I thought when I bought it. I don't even know WHY I'd gone and done this. On a whim, I supposed. I just thought I'd get the stupid thought out of my head that I even might've been pregnant. I was positive I wasn't, but then again...

"Knock knock! Yo Dan, open up!" My friend Cora called from my front door, pounding on the wood. I sighed and swam over to the frame. I yanked the chain off my door and threw it open. There was Cora L. Rief, floating in the doorway. Despite her being one of my closest-and only-friends, she was probably the last person I wanted to see.

"You ready for tonight? Marc's coming over soon and we's gonna' gets you out of your apartment! You are not spending this Friday night alone!" She laughed, inviting herself into my living area. It occurred to me that she had not even noticed my anxious disposition.

"Please come in..." I mumbled sarcastically to myself. I closed the door as she swam in and sank down on my couch. I noticed suddenly I still held the undefined pregnancy test in my hand. Not wanting her to see it, I quickly stuffed it into my shirt pocket.

"So, Baldwin, how ya' been?" Cora asked, now lying back and filling her fin.

"Well actually, I needed to tell you some-" I started. I suddenly heard a strange noise.

"Hold that thought," she interrupted, "it's probably Marc."

Cora yanked out her vibrating shell phone, pushed her black hair back, and held it to the side of her face.

"Hey Marc! Yeah, it's me. You're WHAT? Still? But, FinEx can't make you work overtime again! Well, actually yes they can, but that's not the...oh. Okay then, get back to work. Love ya'. Bye." Cora snapped her phone shut.

"What now?" I sighed, trying to avoid telling her about the test.

"Well, now we wait for Marc. He's running a little late cause' he's being overworked. Ay-gain!" Cora sighed.

"That's too bad..." I mumbled.

"Hey Dan, you okay?" She asked, tilting her head with concern. At least, I think it was concern. Either that or confusion. Cora's body language is hard to comprehend.

"No, no. I'm fine." I quickly stuttered. I'd changed my mind; now, I REALLY didn't want her to know.

"Um, Dan, I've known you since you were MY teacher. I know when something's wrong. You can NOT lie to save your life."

"It's nothing. I'm just..."

"Ooh, what's this?" She interrupted again. Before I could say anything, Cora's fin was in my pocket and she had yanked out the pregnancy test.

"Give that back!" I cried out, snatching for the stick she grasped in her hand. Cora merely cackled at me and held it at arm's length. It made it even more difficult that she was a few fish-inches taller than me.

"What is this thing anyway?" She asked, trying to examine it while fighting me away.

"It's none of your business, that's what it is!" I continued.

After wrestling her for another 5 minutes, I gave up. I knew if I'd let it go on any longer, she'd pin me to the ground.

"Fine," I sighed, "go ahead and look. I don't give a..."

"The heck? Dan, why did you have...a pregnancy test?" She snorted, trying not to laugh.

"Well, you see..." My voice trailed off as I wondered how exactly to explain the predicament.

"And a positive one, no less." Cora giggled. I froze; I couldn't breathe.

"P-p-positive...?" I asked, feeling faint. It MUST have been a mistake, right?

"Yeah. I mean I THINK that's what the pink plus sign mean-Dan? Dan, you okay?" Cora asked with concern. I had sunk down to my couch, feeling quite nauseous. My head spun with questions; each more nauseating than the next.

'It's not right! I'm sure of it! It's...a faulty test, that's what it is! But, what if it really IS positive? I can't have a baby right now! I barely have enough money to support myself, let alone a baby seahorse! But, what if it's more than one? Wait, what are baby seahorses called? Spawn, right? No, that's not it. Hold on, how can I be pregnant in the first place? Do other male seahorses get pregnant? Am I...even MALE?'

"Dan! Snap out of it!" Cora cried, shaking my arms and bringing me back to reality.

"S-sorry. I'm a little...disoriented." I muttered, not feeling quite myself.

"So...who is it?" Cora asked, tossing the positive stick onto my lap.

"Huh?" I asked.

"I was wondering who took the test." She repeated. Now came the ugly truth...

"Cora...um, well..."

"Oh...my...GOD!" Cora gasped. This was it. She knew.

"Look, I had no earthly idea I could..."

"You knocked someone up?" She cried out with glee. I was shocked at how utterly oblivious she was.

"Huh? No! You don't understand-"

"I just can't believe it, Dan! You're gonna' be a daddy! So, who's the mother? Is it someone I know? I she here now?"

I couldn't take it anymore.

"Cora," I cried, grabbing her shoulders, "I took it! I'm the one who's pregnant!"

She stared at me for a minute, then she burst out laughing.

"Oh my gosh! You're so effin' funny! Is there a hidden camera somewhere? Okay, okay you got me!" She laughed, much to my irritation. But my stern expression didn't change, and her smile slowly faded.

"Oh...oh my God. Y-you weren't kidding? You're really...?" She breathed.

I nodded solemnly. Cora's calm face quickly turned into a shocked and disgusted one.

"Holy SHELL!" She cried out in horror.

"Yeah, I know." I sighed, squeezing the bridge of my nose.

"But...but...you're a...male, right?" Cora stuttered.

"That's what I thought!" I agreed, chuckling nervously.

"Jeez...so...so what are you gonna' do?" She asked, staring out the clear wall of the tank.

"I honestly don't know..." I sighed, my head resting on my hand. I felt sick to my stomach. It could have been due to the fact that I had been vomiting constantly the whole week, but I knew it had an emotional cause.

I had NO clue how to raise a baby fish. I had never even wanted to be a parent, but the issue was now staring me right in the face. I really didn't even like kids, especially teen fish. I often questioned why I was a teacher.

I guess I enjoyed my job at first, but eventually I realized I had to compete with shell phones and texting for the student's attention. I guess that's when I just sort of gave up. I can't tell you how many phones and mp3 players are currently trapped in the drawer of "stuff that is now mine". And I can't even attempt to use these devices, for I have a horrible time trying to use technology. In fact, I can barely use the computer I have at home. I don't understand the concept of FishBook or flipper* and I feel like I might be one of the only people left who still reads newspapers. How was I supposed to raise a kid if I didn't even know how to use something as simple as a computer? Those 2 things aren't too related, but they seemed it at the time.

"Dan?" Cora was shaking me again.

"Hmm?" I asked, feeling quite numb at the moment. She gave me a thoughtful grin.

"I have an idea."

*Fish versions of FaceBook and twitter


	2. Marc

Chapter 2: Marc

Marc was an odd fish. Specifically speaking, he was a seahorse. His life story was probably one of the weirdest I had ever heard. He had gone to a medical school to be a physician, but never actually got a job as one. I guess you could say he gave up on what he wanted. Marc eventually got a job as a FinEx delivery guy and never looked back. He says it's what he was born to do. Cora and I knew if anyone could help us with my pregnancy issue, Marc could.

"He should be here by now..." Cora said as she swam back and forth around my apartment, continuing to give me worried glances. It was almost like she thought I was going to drop dead any second. But then again, for all we knew about my situation, I could've.

"Calm down. He'll be here soon and I'm fine." I sighed, realizing she was making me anxious.

"But I called him fifteen minutes ago! Plus, he lives in this apartment building!" Cora growled, making a good point.

"Yes, but, like you said, he's working. He may be all the way across the tank, for all we know." I mumbled, also making a valid point. I wasn't really thinking about Marc, but my mind was still trying to wrap itself around the idea of me actually being "with spawn". I still didn't believe it and I almost wanted to take another test just to be sure.

"Um, Dan?"

"What?" I asked. I suddenly felt very tired.

"What if you really are...preggers? What then?" Cora wondered aloud, using a term one of my students might use.

"I dunno. Raise it, I guess...I don't even really know what I'm doing." I sighed, wishing she would just shut up.

"Well, you've only known about it for the past, I don't know, forty minutes." She said, glancing at her fin-watch.

"True..."

"I mean...there are other options...right?" Cora murmured.

"Like abortion?" I asked monotonously.

"Yeah...like that..." She agreed in a slightly uncomfortable tone. I sighed. It wasn't like I was actually thinking about the option of abortion, but I was just answering her question. Being a teacher, it's a habit.

"Dan, you wouldn't...do that, would you?" Cora questioned, not even bringing herself to say the word.

"No, of course not." I mumbled, trying to make her feel better. But in reality, I guess you could say I was still "considering my options". Options that may or may not have included ridding myself of this situation all together.

"Good." She sighed, looking slightly more relieved. Suddenly there was a knock on my door that made us both jump. I pushed myself off of my couch.

"I'll get it," Cora said, then pointed to me, "don't get up."

I rolled my eyes and reluctantly lowered myself back onto my sofa. I stared out the glass of the tank at the busy community below. For a split second, I wondered what my students were doing. I thought about them from time to time. I hoped, whatever they were doing, that their homework was done. I almost wished I had something to grade to get my mind off of my situation. I heard the door lock snap and the front door bang open.

"Get in here!" Cora's voice cried.

"Okay, okay! Geez!" Marc whined pitifully.

"Hey." I said when he entered. He was still wearing his FinEx uniform and was probably still on the job.

"Hello...um, why am I here again?" Marc asked, redirecting his attention towards Cora.

"You didn't tell him?" I hissed at her.

"Well, I thought you could!" Cora said, suddenly in defensive mode.

"Well, I thought you would just-"

"Will someone just tell me WHY I'm here? Cora called saying it was urgent, but she never even explained what is going on!" Marc growled, feeling impatient. I didn't blame him. Cora had the tendency to leave out important details.

"Why don't YOU tell him, Dan?"

I left the couch and got so close to her face I could see her scales.

"Cause' you're the one who brought him over here, Cora!" I said, prodding her in the shoulder.

"Look, until you both figure out why I'm here, I'm leaving!" Marc said, turning and floating towards the door. My fear of telling him was suddenly overruled by my desire for more information about the pregnancy. I didn't want him to leave just yet.

"Wait," I said, grabbing his shoulder, "I'll tell you."

"Well, get on with it!" He sighed impatiently, the door already open with his hand still on the knob.

I took a deep breath, realizing I'd have to tell a lot more people eventually. I wasn't too comfortable with this reality yet.

"I'm pregnant." I sighed, blushing as I said it. Marc stopped and slowly shut my door, now intending to stay. He gave me a strange face, raised an eyebrow, and looked at me from head to tail.

"Really?" He finally asked.

"Well, at least that's what this test says..." I muttered, handing him the pregnancy test I had taken. Marc looked it over thoroughly and then handed it back to me. Cora and I looked at each other, and then back at Marc.

"...well?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"According to the test, you're pregnant, Dan. Congrats!" Marc shrugged. It was obvious he didn't understand how crazy this fact was to my brain.

"Well, that's not disturbing at all!" Cora laughed with a cruel amount of sarcasm, trying to lighten the mood. It did the opposite.

"Wow, Cora. That is exactly the kind of supportive comment I need right now!" I replied, my sarcastic tone matching hers. She rolled her eyes at me and floated back onto my couch. I suddenly remembered I had questions needed to be answered.

"Marc?" I said to my friend. I noticed him still floating in the same spot, staring at the test in curiosity.

"Yeah?" He responded, not looking up.

"Is it even, I mean, do other male seahorses...reproduce?"

Marc then looked at me with first a "Seriously?" look, and then smirked at me.

"Well...yeah! I mean, it's the only way seahorses DO reproduce." Marc said as if it was the most obvious fact in the world.

"WHAT?" Cora and I gasped in perfect unison.

"C'mon guys! You didn't know that?"

"Um...NO! Not really!" Cora shrieked furiously.

"Not a surprise, you never paid attention in class..." I mumbled. She threw me a hate-filled glare.

"Yeah, that's how it is! Of course, he'd have to have been with another seahorse previously..." Marc said, gesturing towards me. I pondered this for a moment, trying to remember who I'd had relations with recently.

"Does the gender matter?" Cora asked.

"Like I'd be with a male seahorse..." I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"You would be that desperate..." Cora snickered.

"It has to be a female seahorse. That way the eggs are transferred." Marc interrupted.

A thought popped into my head.

"Um, Marc, how many...eggs are there?" I asked nervously. While one part of me died to know the answer, the other part of me knew I wouldn't like the reply and wanted me to keep my mouth shut. The curious part of me won.

"I think it depends on the race of seahorse. But typically one to two."

"One to two eggs?" I asked, surprised at how low the number was.

"Oh no! More like one to two hundred eggs."

I couldn't respond. I could barely breathe.

"T-t...two...h-hund..." I stammered, feeling my heart pound in my chest. I retreated to sit next to Cora, feeling a bit dizzy.

"At least, that's the typical count in one brood. But, I suppose it varies in the different races of seahorse." Marc said, looking at me with a concerned expression.

"How varied can it get?" Cora asked Marc. It was the question I lacked the strength to ask at the moment.

"I'm not sure, but I do know that one type of seahorse is expected to have a brood of around five to ten." He answered with a shrug.

"Hundred?" I gasped, feeling officially freaked out.

"No, no! Five to ten eggs. The smallest brood is around four to five eggs. This is more likely to happen in the smaller of the Hippocampus species." He continued. I realized he sounded more like a teacher than I did, but I didn't comment. I felt myself relax a bit more with the hope that I might be carrying less than I thought.

"I wonder if there's a way to tell what race you are, Dan." Cora thought aloud.

"There is. You can get a medical examination and a doctor can tell you. You should probably get one anyway if you think you're...expecting."

"Yeah..." I sighed. It was still sinking in that I was actually pregnant. I didn't really like thinking about it and really hoped that the test had made a mistake.

"Baldwin?" Cora said, tapping my arm.

"What?"

"Do you think that the mother would like to know about your...current, erm...condition?"

"I...I don't k-know..." I said, not really wanting to tell them who she was. To be honest, I hadn't thought about the mother in a while. It hadn't occurred to me that there was still someone who had entrusted me with her eggs. The other half of this process.

"Hold on, Dan. Who...who IS the mother?" Marc questioned. The one question I wanted to avoid answering, but now I couldn't.

"I-I don't want to go there..." I replied, my voice quavering.

"Do you not know who she is?" Cora asked me, her millionth question of the evening.

"No, I know who she is. It's just that...I'd rather not tell you."

"C'mon, Dan! It can't be that bad!" She laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Well..."

"Just tell us, Baldwin." Marc said. I had no choice but to admit it. I took a deep breath.

"OK. The mother is...my ex." I confessed. Marc and Cora looked at each other, shocked.


	3. 1986

Chapter 3: 1986

"The mother is...your ex?" Marc asked, giving me a rightfully skeptical look.

"That's what I said." I replied monotonously.

"Marlene?" Marc continued.

"Yes, Marlene." I sighed, cringing inwardly. I truly despised her.

"Who's Marlene?" Cora questioned. Marc gave her an odd look, and then gave me the same strange expression.

"She doesn't know about Marlene?" Marc asked me, pointing his thumb in Cora's direction. Then it hit me; I'd never told Cora about my past, and for good reason. It wasn't exactly the most pleasant story.

"No..." I said through gritted teeth.

"Why haven't you told me?" Cora asked bluntly.

"Because it's not something I like to talk about, okay!" I answered.

"Okay! Yeesh! Can you tell me who she is now?"

I thought a moment. I guessed I would have to tell her at some point.

"Well, I was sixteen; a junior at Freshwater High. The year was nineteen-eighty-six and I was head over tail in love with Marlene Saltweed. I-"

"Wait a second!" Cora cried, halting my speech.

"What?"

"Is this the same nineteen-eighty-six you always keep moping about?"

"I do not mope!" I cried out, defending something I knew wasn't true.

"Dude, you kinda do." Marc said, nodding.

I sighed, and decided to ignore them.

"Anyway," I continued, "I was sixteen, and-"

"You were sixteen?" Cora interrupted again.

"Yes! What is it NOW?"

I watched impatiently as Cora counted off on her fins, mouthing the numbers silently. She suddenly stopped and her face held an expression of bewilderment. She looked at me strangely, her eyebrow raised.

"You're forty-one?" She questioner.

"Yes, I'm forty-one." I sighed, slightly embarrassed about this truth.

"Ew..." Cora said in an obviously disgusted tone. I glared at her with hate-filled eyes.

"You didn't know that?" Marc suddenly asked her, as if my age was the most apparent thing in the world.

"Um, no! That's sort of weird."

"Why?" I cried out.

"Because, I didn't know you were so...old."

"I AM NOT OLD!" I yelled to her face, once again trying to fool myself.

"Well, it is at least a little old to be having kids..." Cora replied. I was once again reminded of the unfortunate truth of my pregnancy, and I shuddered.

"Okay, okay! So I'm old, can I please move on?" I asked in a slightly pleading tone.

"Yeah sure, sure. Go on." Cora said.

"No more interruptions?" I questioned.

"Nope." Marc shook his head.

"Good," I sighed, then smirked at him, "but you know, you're not much younger, Marc O. Shane."

"True..." Marc chuckled, rolling his eyes. Marc was 39, only 2 years younger than me.

"So, um, where was I?" I asked.

"You were talking about Marlene." Cora answered.

"Oh, right. As I mentioned, I was very much in love with her. But she was, what's the word, 'popular'. And I, well, wasn't. But eventually, I somehow managed enough strength to ask her on a date."

"Aw! Then what happened?" Cora commented.

"Well, it turned out that she really liked me. We started dating and my life was really great for a while, but then..." my voice trailed off.

"What?" She asked.

"So, um, we were together for a few months. Then around Fishcember, she just...left."

"Moved? Why?" Cora asked.

"I'm not sure, but I never saw her again." I continued, my mood getting slightly more depressed.

"Wow, that must've been life changing." Cora responded.

I nodded.

"Wait a second, Dan! You just said she was the mother, and yet you also just said you never saw her again! Care to explain?" Marc asked.

"Gladly. So, a couple of weeks ago, I went out to this new bar I'd heard abou-"

"Hey!" Cora cried out suddenly.

"What NOW, Cora?" I asked. She definitely had issues with interrupting. I briefly was reminded of when she was my student. She was one to interrupt me then, too. Some things never change...

"Um, hello! Why didn't you take us with you?"

"I don't know! Please, let me finish!"

"Jeez, fine!"

"So, I showed up at this new place, and I'd already had a really rough day. I had been sitting there for about thirty minutes when she sat on the stool next to mine. The minute I looked at her, I knew it was Marlene; she was just as beautiful as ever. I bought her a drink and she just started recapping her entire life after high school."

"So, why did she leave?" Marc inquired.

"I still don't know. I didn't want to bring it up and possibly hurt her feelings. She was already upset."

"Why?"

"Her boyfriend had just dumped her, but I don't know why. Marlene was a mess, though." Feeling restless, I left the couch and began swim back and forth about the room.

"So, then what?" Cora asked.

"Well, we sat in the bar and talked for a few hours. Long story short, we ended up back at my place, and I'm sure you can assume what happened next. Unfortunately, Marlene was gone in the morning, and I don't know where she lives."

"Such a shame. She knocks you up, then ditches you." Cora shook her head.

"Yes," Marc muttered, "it is a shame."

"So, do you want to call her?" Cora asked, offering me her shell phone.

"No, not now." I replied.

"Will you ever call her?" Marc asked.

"Maybe...eventually. I don't think I have her number, though." I shrugged.

I watched as Cora spontaneously began floating around the apartment, deep in thought. Without warning, Cora zipped over to my bed and suddenly began digging through my bedside table.

"What are you doing? That stuff is personal!" I cried out, trying to stop her.

"A girl would never just leave..." She mumbled in thought.

"What?"

"A woman always leaves a nice note after a one night stand. At least, that's what I would do. You probably just shoved it into a drawer without even realizing it." Cora continued. She continued to search until she reached the bottom of the drawer.

"Aha!" She cried out in victory. In her fin she held a folded piece of notebook paper with my name written on it in very frilly handwriting.

"Ooh, it even has her shell phone number! Should I read the note?" She asked me.

"I suppose..." I muttered, slightly anxious about what Marlene would say to me.

"Ahem! It says, 'Dan, I'm sorry to run out on you like this, but I was late for a job interview. I had such a great time last night catching up. Anyway, I needed to tell you something important, but I guess telling you in this note will suffice. I'm not quite sure how to put this, so I'll come right out and say it. You might...'. Um, I don't think you want to hear the rest."

"Why? No, I don't care. I can take it!" I decided. Cora shrugged.

"Okay, you asked for it. She writes 'You might...have contracted an STD. Please go get tested. I'm sorry, but this is my fault. Love, Marlene. P.S. Call me.'."


	4. Ultrasound

Chapter 4: Ultrasound

I couldn't think of anything more embarrassing than sitting on an ice cold examination table in a skimpy hospital gown. That is, until I was doing all those things AND waiting for the result of a pregnancy test and an STD test. Oh yeah, did I mention my friends were sitting in the room with me and trying not to laugh at my state of being?

"So, Dan, are you gonna' make a good daddy?" Cora snickered. Marc snorted and tried to hold back a chuckle.

"Or maybe we should say 'mommy'?" Marc added. At this, Cora burst into peals of laughter.

"Hardy-har-har." I muttered with as much sarcasm as I could muster.

"Aw c'mon, Baldwin. Lighten up!" Cora replied.

"Lighten up? Do you even realize how tense I am right now? Not only am I waiting for a pregnancy test, but I'm also being tested for any type of STD! You try lightening up in my situation!" I snapped.

"Woah, Dan, back off! I was just joking..."

"Well, I'm not! I'm freaked out and you two aren't helping!" I cried out. I felt frustrated, angry, even a little anxious, and they sure as hell weren't helping my mood. I shifted my body slightly to avoid looking at them. I heard Marc sigh and then he swam into my field of vision.

"Look, Dan," he said sincerely, "we didn't mean to...hurt your feelings. We were just joking, but in reality, we're just as nervous as you are."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" I asked, skeptical.

"Yeah, dude, we didn't mean it like that. Just trying to break the tension, I guess." Cora continued.

"I know..." I sighed, feeling slightly guilty about fussing at them. Without warning, Dr. Herrington swam through the doorway. He looked over his chart book for a second, then proceeded to give me a piercing stare.

"Baldwin, is it?" Dr. Herrington began.

"Y-Yes." I said, shaking. Marc patted my back for reassurance, then sat back down beside Cora. Dr. Herrington looked at Marc, and then back at me.

"Is he your, um...your 'life partner'?" He asked, using air quotes. I had no earthly idea what he was talking about, but Cora must have because she immediately began to squeal with laughter.

"N-No...heh, he's single. We're just his friends..." She giggled.

"Oh! Alright then. I apologize for that, sir." Dr. Herrington said, turning slightly pink with embarrassment.

"It's...fine, I guess. What does that mea-" I started to question.

"Never mind, Dan. You DON'T want to know." Marc interrupted, waving it off. I turned my attention back towards the physician.

"So, am I...OK?" I asked, nervously.

"Well, I have good news. You're STD tests came back negative." He said, looking at his clipboard.

"Oh thank the universe!" I sighed in relief.

"So, what about the...other test?" Cora asked, smirking slightly.

"Ah, yes. About that..." Dr. Herrington continued, looking up at me from his chart.

"...well?" I swallowed anxiously. I inhaled deeply, then held it.

"Mr. Baldwin, you're pregnant. Congratulations!" He announced, smiling. I exhaled, shakily, laying my head in my hands.

" Oh dear gosh..." I breathed, letting it sink in.

"Oh shiz!" Cora mumbled, sounding a little shocked.

"How 'bout that?" Marc muttered to himself.

"I take it that the pregnancy was not a good thing, then?" Dr. Herrington asked.

"N-Not exactly." I sighed.

"Listen, Doc, do you think we could get a sec'...alone." Marc whispered to Herrington.

"Um...yes. O-Of course, but I need to return after a moment to perform a mandatory ultrasou-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Just GO already!" Cora interrupted him, rudely shoving him out of the room. She slammed the door behind him, and I believe I heard her lock it.

"Cora!" Marc scolded her.

"What? He was irritating as hell!" She huffed.

"Um, Dan?" Marc said, turning his attention back towards me.

"Yes?" I mumbled, wishing everyone would just leave me alone.

"Are you...alright?" He asked, sounding apprehensive.

"Just PEACHY!" I growled.

"Well you don't seem 'juth peathy'!" Cora mocked me with a dim-witted lisp I didn't have.

"Well, I wonder WHY, Cora! Could it be because I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT'S GOING ON?" I screamed, completely infuriated with the situation.

"Woah, woah, woah! Calm down, Dan! Everything's fine..." Marc said, gripping my shoulders.

"Where on EARTH does it say that 'everything is fine', Marc? WHERE? I don't see it ANYWHERE! It's probably because everything is not FINE!" I replied, throwing his hands off my arms.

"Listen, we know you're stressed right now. But you NEED to relax!" He said through gritted teeth, gripping my shoulder a little more harshly than needed.

"But..."

"RELAX!" He snapped.

I wanted to yell at him again, but I just didn't have the strength. I then closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to stop shaking.

"Ugh, you're right...I just need to..." My voice trailed off. I wasn't really sure WHAT to do next.

"Need to what, Baldwin?" Cora asked.

"I...I don't know...any advice?"

"Well, maybe you should wait t'ill after the ultrasound before making any decisions." Marc suggested.

"True. I mean, you don't even know how many you're having." Cora added.

I shuddered at the thought and began to feel the morning sickness swiftly returning.

"Dan, you look ill..." Marc commented.

"It won't be that many, right? It can't be..." I mumbled, sweating slightly.

"N-No, of course not. It's probably a small number." He said, trying to reassure me.

" Yeah, like maybe five or six of em'." Cora added, not helping.

At this thought, my nausea increased a bit more. Without warning, I sped over to the doctors' sink and began to dry heave.

"Cora..." Marc groaned.

"What? I thought that WAS a small number. I thought the count could get into the hundreds..." She mumbled.

I began to shudder once more at the thought and my body continued trying to vomit. The heaves quickly turned to hiccups, as I hadn't eaten anything earlier that day.

"Alright, Dan, calm down..." Marc sighed, pulling me back to sit on the exam table once more.

"I can't do this...I need to leave..." I broke from his grasp and swam over to the door, feeling a little hysterical.

"Hang on, Baldwin, you can't just ditch us!" Cora cried, swimming over to me. She put her fin on my shoulder and gripped it.

"Dan, just chill, OK?" Marc said calmly.

"I can't...I don't want to know...I just can't look at that ultrasound!" I whimpered, fumbling with the doorknob.

"Ugh, DAN!" Cora screeched, grasping my shoulder even tighter.

"WHAT?" I cried out, whipping around to glare at her.

Before I knew what had happened, Cora had taken her fin and slapped me across the face.

"Snap out of it!" She shouted, shaking me by my shoulders. I realized this was the second time she'd asked me to do this in the past week.

I floated there for a moment, shocked by what she'd just done. When I'd come back to reality, I let myself slowly return to the table. I had never felt so apprehensive.

"I'm...s-sorry you had to see that..." I stuttered, feeling as though I might have an emotional breakdown at any minute.

"It's alright; we're here for ya'." Marc assured me, patting my arm.

I nodded, but avoided looking at either of my companions.

"D'you think I should let him back in?" Cora asked, pointing towards the door and referring to Dr. Herrington.

I nodded again, not really wanting to say anything else.

Cora unlocked and opened the door. She then cautiously peeked into the hallway. After a moment, she waved her fin to signal the impatiently waiting medical professional.

"Well, are you about ready to wrap this up? I DO have other patients..." Dr. Herrington said as he floated through the doorway.

I nodded, still not feeling like talking. I watched anxiously as he rolled a strange, computer-like machine over to the side of the table.

"OK, Mr. Baldwin, if you'll kindly lie on your back and we can proceed with the ultrasound." Dr. Herrington instructed.

I nervously began to lay down in a supine position. I watched as he pulled back my gown to reveal my flat stomach. He then squirted a strange gel onto the ultrasound wand and placed it on my midsection. The cold and slimy feeling of the gel immediately made me shudder in disgust.

Herrington stared at the monitor for a moment, looking very concentrated.

"Could one of you please turn the lights off?" He requested, looking briefly towards Marc and Cora.

"Sure thing, doc!" Cora piped up, zooming over to the switch and killing the lights. The room was now dark, except for the glow of the computer screen.

As Dr. Herrington's eyes returned to the screen, the wand swerved abruptly, causing me to cringe. It felt as though there was a small snail slithering across my stomach, and it made me feel insanely nauseous.

"So, doc, how many is he having?" Cora oh-so-kindly inquired.

"Well, let me see..." He mumbled.

"I don't want to know..." I groaned, peeling my eyes away from that infernal screen. I began to stare at the wall instead.

"Hmm, now that's bizarre..." The doctor mumbled, not even noticing me, it seemed.

"What is it?" Marc asked, his first sentence in a while.

"Well, I've been examining the screen for a moment, and there's, um, something peculiar..."

"W-What do you mean?" I inquired cautiously.

"What I mean is there's...there's only one that I've counted." Herrington explained.

"You mean, like, one hundred?" Cora asked.

"One thousand?" Marc asked.

"T-T-Thousand?" I squeaked out, feeling lightheaded. Once again, my body wanted me to vomit.

"No, no, no! What I mean is that there's only one fry. One embryo. " He continued.

"W-What?" I mumbled, sitting up to look at the screen.

"It's right there..." He traced his finger circularly around a small blip on the screen. There was definitely something in there.

"That's...impossible! Surely there are more!" Marc commented.

"That's what I thought!" The doctor said, clearly shocked.

"OK, so the rest of the brood has just...died off?" Marc inquired.

"Well, that's what I originally assumed, for I have seen that type of situation before. However, there's something different."

"And, what's different?" Cora asked.

"So, in a situation where the additional fry had died off, we would see on the monitor, for lack of better words, the remains of the other hatchlings. But, as I'm looking at the screen, I see none whatsoever. No sign that there was ever more than one fry present." He explained with exquisite detail.

"Well, Dan, I guess you're happy about that..." Cora chuckled.

I didn't respond, instead I sat and stared at the screen, mouth agape. I watched as the tiny being, that was allegedly inside me, squirmed slightly. Even though I couldn't feel it, it still sickened me. I closed my eyes and wished it was all a dream. I just wanted everyone to shut up.

"So, doc, can you tell the gender?" Cora asked.

"Not yet. It's too small, almost 3 weeks old." The doctor replied.

"How long will he be pregnant?" Marc piped up. I couldn't help but thinking that they were talking about me like I wasn't there.

"Well, the mother usually carries the eggs for 2 weeks and then transfers them to the father. I'd say the process, in total, lasts about nine to ten weeks. It differs with each seahorse race." Dr. Herrington answered.

"Dan? Hey Baldwin, you alright?" Cora asked me.

"Yeah, dude, you look a little pale." Marc added.

"I...I'm...I'm fine...I su-suppose..." I managed to say.

"What d'ya think about all that?" Cora asked.

I opened my eyes to look at the screen again. The fetus I had willed to disappear was still there. Inside me.

"I...I'm pregnant..." I mumbled, my head swimming. Then everything went black.


	5. Options

Chapter 5: Options

"I can't believe you fricken FAINTED!" Cora howled with laughter.

"I can't believe you're STILL talking about it!" I growled, irritated. I watched her from my seated spot on the bed. She was laughing so hard she was floating to the surface of the tank.

"Guys, that was yesterday! Dan's right, move on, Cora!" Marc interjected.

"Thank you, Marc!" I commented.

"Well, it IS weird that It took them twenty minutes to revive you." Marc chuckled.

"Oh, ha ha. Very funny. Just laugh it up at my expense! It's not like I have FEELINGS!" I growled, rolling my eyes.

"Baldwin, chill. We're just kidding!" Cora said.

"And, that's the problem! Can't you two EVER be serious?" I cried.

"Dan, if we're serious like you, this situation would become absurdly depressing." Marc explained.

"Ugh, what do I do? I'm...with fry." I groaned, not being able to call myself "pregnant". It was a feminine word.

"Well, you have tons of options. No need to feel pressured..." Marc assured me.

"But, you need to feel a little pressured. I mean, the clock IS ticking." Cora reminded me.

"He's only three weeks along..." Marc said to her.

"Out of nine! He's nearly halfway done."

"Guys, I'm right here! Stop talking about me like I'm elsewhere?" I requested, irritated.

"Sorry, it's just...you're so darn miserable to talk to." Cora said blatantly.

"You're very kind, Cora." I grumbled with sarcasm.

"So, what ARE you going to do, Dan?" Marc asked.

"I...well...what SHOULD I do?" I asked him, needing an idea.

"I think you should keep it!" Cora added.

"I still can't believe it's an IT!" Marc said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Why is that so hard for you to comprehend? Dr. Herrington said it can happen!" I said.

"Yes, he said it can happen. He also said that when it happens, it also shows that there had been other fry present beforehand! Your ultrasound didn't show that! Therefore, this is unexplainable!" Marc ranted irritatingly.

"Calm down, Sherlock! Dan's at least happy there's only one. Aren't you, Baldwin?" Cora asked.

"I'm indifferent." I said honestly.

"Hey, I kept this for you. You can have it." Cora chimed, handing me a folded piece of paper.

I unfolded it to find the distorted picture of my unborn.

"Ugh! Why did you think I'd want this?" I cried, tossing the pic across the room. Cora sped over to where it was and caught it just before it hit the floor.

"I just thought you'd want it later on."

"I don't want it now, what makes you think I'd want it later on?"

"It just doesn't make sense..." Marc mumbled.

"What could you possibly mean NOW, Marc?" I cried out in irritation.

"I mean, it's impossible that you're only having one!" He replied.

"Oh, could you just DROP IT ALREADY? So Dan's only having one kid, what's the big deal?" Cora added, seeming just as annoyed as me.

"The 'big deal' is that this situation IS IMPOSSIBLE!" Marc continued.

"And? Before we found out about this pregnancy, we thought the whole 'male seahorse pregnancy' thing was impossible! Explain that!" Cora said.

"One word, missy; ignorance!" Marc smiled.

"Two words, Marc; shut up!" Cora rolled her eyes.

"Hey!" I cried, silencing the quarreling duo.

They looked at me with shocked eyes.

"Could you two PLEASE stop arguing over a problem that isn't yours to argue about? This problem is MY fricken' problem, not yours! And, I need your help!" I continued, gesturing towards my flat stomach.

"Oh, right. Sorry, Dan." Cora mumbled, blushing slightly.

"Yeah, we didn't mean to get all worked up and stuff." Marc added.

"It's fine. So, anyone have any ideas on what to do next?"

"Well, you say it's your problem, and then you want our ideas?" Cora asked, rolling her eyes inwardly.

"I don't blame him." Marc muttered.

"Again, thank you, Marc." I said.

"Well, Dan, I actually have an idea." He said.

"Oh yeah? Lay it on me, I'll take anything!" I sighed, slightly relieved at another's decision.

"Uh...you won't like it." Marc muttered.

"How MUCH will I not like it?" I groaned, crossing my arms in irritation.

"Maybe a little more than you don't like this entire situation." Marc muttered through the gritted teeth of a fake smile.

"Oh fudge...just...what is it?" I asked, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"So, um, I was thinking. Maybe you should go and...see Marlene." Marc suggested.

"Are you CRAZY?" I sat straight up and gave him a cold stare, "I don't want anything more to do with that rhymes-with-witch!"

"I know, but hear me out..."

"Shell no! I refuse!" I snapped.

"Dan!" Cora said.

"What is it NOW, Cora? I prefer you when you're quiet!"

"No, don't be shy, Baldwin. Tell me how you really feel! Look, you asked for advice so why don't you listen to it for once!" She rolled her eyes.

I sighed, knowing she was right. I hated to admit when Cora was right.

"Sure," I mumbled, eyes closed, "Marc, pray explain your grand idea."

"Well, I did some research last night-" Marc began.

"Wow, you did research? How unlike you, Marc." I muttered, sarcastically.

"Dan, do the world a favor, shut up for once!" Cora said, scowling at me.

"Anyway, I did some research after we got back from the hospital."

"And?" Cora asked.

"And, I found out that Marlene might know more about the fry than you think."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"What I mean is, so, I learned that the mother in the situation, Marlene in this case, almost ALWAYS knows she's pregnant BEFORE the brood transfer." Marc educated.

"So, wait, Marlene KNEW she was pregnant?" Cora asked.

"Precisely."

"But, that would mean..." I mumbled, my train of thought scooting along its tracks.

"It means that you getting pregnant wasn't an accident." Marc said.

"It was...on PURPOSE?" I cried, shocked.

"That's what I mean...unfortunately."

"Oh God..." I mumbled.

"Maybe...maybe she had a good reason." Cora suggested.

"I don't care WHAT her reasoning for this is! She's crossed the line!" I cried.

"So, are you gonna' call her now?" Marc asked.

I felt myself relax for a moment to ponder this. I really did NOT want to see Marlene if I could avoid it. But then again, could I avoid it?

"I...I don't know..." I finally said.

"You seemed pretty eager for a second there..." Cora said.

"Just call her, Dan!" Marc said, handing me his phone.

"Here's her number..." Cora said in a singsongy voice, handing me Marlene's prior note.

I stared at the phone for a moment; my thumb hovering over the first number in the 10-digit code. I was eager to press it, but terrified as well. Terror won.

"I can't!" I cried, tossing both objects onto the floor.

"God, why the heck not, Dan?" Marc cried, swooping in to rescue his abandoned phone.

"You guys just have no clue what I've been through with this woman..." I sighed.

"But, Dan, don't you...like her?" Cora asked.

"Well...yes...no...I don't know!"

"Hey, didn't she break up with her boyfriend?" Marc asked.

"He dumped her, but yes." I nodded.

"So, there you go! Now's your chance! Jump in the picture and charm her!" Cora said.

"Charm her?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

"Oh, right, you have no charm." Cora commented.

"Cora!" Marc growled.

"What? Jee-whizzah..." Cora said, rolling her eyes.

"Don't you like her, Baldwin?" Marc asked, the repeating question of the day.

"I do, but...maybe she's not ready for a relationship." I said, making up an excuse.

"Oh come on! The least you can do is try!" He said.

"I know..."

"So, call her already!" Cora cried.

"Forget it! I don't want to call her!" I said.

"If you don't want to call her, why don't you just visit her?" Marc suggested.

"I would, but I don't know her address." I said.

"Hm, I think I can solve this. But if I can find Ms. Saltweed's address, do you promise to contact her?" Marc asked.

"Um, sure. Deal." I said, not honestly thinking he could find it.

"Give me five minutes." Marc said with a sly smile.

"What are you-" I didn't have time to finish. Marc sped over to my dinosaur of a computer and began to tap away at the keys.

"One sec..." He muttered, fingers flying over the keyboard.

I watched as Marc pulled up a website I'd never seen before. He entered a code into a panel, then began went to the search box and typed in "Marlene Saltweed".

"There we are!" Marc announced, prodding a finger at one of the search results. Actually, the only search result. I looked at the result, and the phone number matched.

"So, Marc, what kind of program is that?" Cora asked.

"Well, technically it's an illegal one. It's a search engine for any fish living in the tank. I don't use it very often, but it's really helpful sometimes."

"And how'd you get access to it?" I inquired.

"I don't really remember. It may be part of my job, but I don't know." Marc shrugged. He scribbled something down on a scrap of paper, then handed it to me.

"Here's her address! A deal's a deal!" Marc said.

"Not fair, you cheated." I grumbled.

"Au contraire mon frère! You see, there were no rules!" Marc laughed.

"Am I really going to have to see her?" I sighed, staring at the address. 1331 Barnacle Drive. Peachy.

"Indeed! You PROMISED." Marc almost chuckled.

"Hey, let's go RIGHT NOW!" Cora cried, pulling Marc and I towards the door.

"Hang on," I cried, slipping out of her grasp, "how do we even know she's home?"

"Aw come on, Baldwin! Quit stalling!" Cora whined, seeming quite eager.

"Dan has a point..." Marc said.

"So? Even if she isn't there, we've tried!" She said.

"But, what if it's the wrong Marlene?" I asked.

"It could happen. I mean, not ALL fish are in the database." Marc said.

"Alright then, how can we tell if it's the real her?" Cora asked.

We pondered this for a moment. I was stumped. But suddenly, Marc got a sly look on his face.

"You guys mind if I run to my truck for a moment?" He asked.

"No, but why?" Cora asked.

"To change into my uniform. I have a plan!"


	6. Marlene

Chapter 6: Marlene

"So, remind me, what exactly is the plan again?" I asked, glancing at Marc in the backseat.

"Well, my boss decided that we needed to let our customers fill out an annoying survey. I'll take the survey and knock on Marlene's door. When she answers, you can sneak a quick peek to see if it's her. You'll probably only have a minute to look, as most fish hate to answer the questions." Marc explained, setting up his clipboard and adjusting his uniform to look official.

"And, when we know it's her..." I began.

"...then you go and knock when I get back, alright?" He finished.

"Fine." I sighed.

"Oh! This is so exciting!" Cora squealed from the passenger seat, clapping her fins.

"Yeah, yeah..." I grumbled. I really wasn't looking forward to this confrontation. I silently prayed it was a different Marlene, but I knew it wasn't.

"Alright, off I go!" Marc said, flinging the door open.

I watched as he swam across the street and up to the porch of the subject's house. He took a moment to prepare himself, the rang the door bell. I watched as Marlene, the seahorse whom I both loved and hated, floated outside.

"Alright, Baldwin; can you see her? Is it her?" Cora asked, eagerly staring out the window.

"Yes, it's her..." I muttered, not very happy about it. My feelings for her were a knot of loathing and adoration at the same time. I didn't know WHAT I was going to say to her. All I knew is that whatever I said to her wasn't going to be well organized. I watched her in silence as time seemed to move at least 10x slower.

"So, was it her?" Marc asked, now at the car window. I glanced around him to find Marlene's front door shut. She was nowhere in sight. I wondered how long I'd been spacing out.

"Um, yes...it was her." I said, not feeling quite present at the moment.

"Oh great! Now, get over there!" Marc cried in joy, pointing a finger towards her house.

"I can't..." I whispered, letting my forehead rest on the steering wheel.

"Yes you can!" Cora encouraged me, patting my back.

"What do I say to her?" I asked.

"Well, you could say 'Hello! Don't know if you remember me from a week ago, but you knocked me up! Thanks a lot, you bitch!'." Cora offered.

"No...no thanks..." I shook my head.

"You like her, don't you?" Marc asked, poking his head through my window.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I can tell by the way you looked at her. Also, you're almost sweating at the thought of seeing her again..."

"I do NOT like her!" I cried in annoyance.

"Oh whatever! Just GO!" Cora said, attempting to shove me out of my own car.

I cautiously opened the door and edged my way out of the vehicle. The minute I was out of the driver's seat, Marc zoomed in behind me to take my place. He grabbed the door and slammed it shut behind me. I watched in shock as he quickly began to roll up the window, setting a barrier between me and them. A wave of horrific fear washed over me, and I immediately felt panic set in.

"Let me back in! I can't do this!" I cried through the glass. I watched as Marc smiled slyly and pressed his finger down onto the door lock, shutting me out. I watched in irritation as he gave me a playful wave and mouthed "Bye bye!" to me through the window. Cora just snickered from the passenger seat, clearly enjoying the whole scenario.

I reluctantly floated away from the car, knowing they couldn't drive off without me. I had the keys in my shirt pocket. I took in a deep breath, then swam across the street and up to Marlene's front door. As I analyzed the house, I found that although she was probably only middle class, she was better off financially than I was, which bothered me slightly. I stared at the door for what seemed like hours to me, but was probably only 2 minutes. Finally, after hesitating momentarily, I took my fist and gave 3 sharp thumps to her door.

"AGAIN? I said I don't want to take your stupid," Marlene growled, flinging open the door, "survey..."

Her voice had trailed off at the mere sight of me. Her eyes examined me from head to tail. I felt slightly exposed by this.

"Dan?"

"Marlene..." I sighed, feeling myself unwillingly blush. She floated there for a moment, staring at me through an awkward silence.

"You...um...you're here." She finally said.

"Clearly." I said, monotonously.

"I'm sure you'd like to...talk, then?"

"If you're not busy at the moment." I retorted, a slight amount of sarcasm coating the sentence.

"Not at all. Come in." She said this with a dull, almost annoyed tone. I could tell she was less than pleased about letting me into her home.

"Thanks." I said, swimming through the doorway. As I glanced around the room, I noted it was almost completely spotless. I remembered that Marlene had always been sort of a neat freak. Almost to the point of being OCD.

"So, um, you know just...sit wherever." She said awkwardly.

"Thanks..." I mumbled, lowering myself onto her sanitary, lemon scented couch.

"Would you like some tea, water, or maybe lemonade?" Marlene offered, swimming into her kitchen.

"No thanks, I'm good." I replied, the smell of the couch causing my morning sickness to kick in.

"Kay' then..." She said, floating back into the living room. Marlene stared at me for an awkward moment, wondering if I'd say anything. When I kept my mouth shut, she slowly sunk into the chair across from me.

"Marlene," I finally spoke, "I have a hunch that you know...why I'm here."

"Well, uh...you're pregnant, for one." She nodded, a numbness in her tone.

"I...I am." I replied stiffly.

"Did you...I mean, do you have the...STD, too?" She asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

" No, I'm...clean." I said, feeling I didn't quite choose the right word. I could tell this wasn't going well.

"Good for you." Marlene said, seeming almost disappointed with this fact.

"How long have you had an STD?" I asked, truthfully curious.

"Oh, Dan, that is a...long story."

"I have lots of time. I don't work on the weekends; I'm a teacher."

"Yeah, you mentioned that. How's that?"

"Don't get off topic, Marlene." I said sternly, not really wishing to go into my personal life.

"Dan, I...you won't like this story."

"I think I can handle it. I'm a grown man."

"That's what they all say..." She rolled her eyes.

"Just TELL me!" I near cried out from frustration.

"Fine! I cheated on you! Is THAT what you wanted me to say?" Marlene shouted at me.

"...what? We're not even dating!" I asked her, completely confused.

"It was when we were dating in high school, I...slept with this one guy when we were still together." She bit her lip in embarrassment, but didn't seem all that ashamed of it.

"Who?" I asked her.

"Remember that foreign exchange student? Him."

"But, I thought you...liked me." I sighed, wondering why I wasn't surprised by this.

"I did, and...I still do. But, I was the most popular girl at Freshwater; the peer pressure to "do" the hot, foreign guy was horrible! Not to mention the hormones..." She said exasperatedly.

"Oh dear Lord, you are so...wait, you still like me?"

"I...do, but I, well, I have a boyfriend." Marlene blushed.

"Hang on, don't you mean...had a boyfriend?" I wondered aloud.

"Actually, no. We're still together."

"Wait," I began, completely confused, "but you told me-"

"-that he dumped me, I know. See, Dan, the thing is...about the other night..." She rubbed the back of her neck. She was clearly avoiding telling me something.

"Do I even want to know?" I asked.

"Well, he didn't dump me."

"I knew I didn't want to know." I sighed.

"In fact, we're engaged." Marlene continued.

"Oh boy! Just gets better and better, doesn't it?" I questioned the universe sarcastically.

"Oh could you be any more cynical? Why can't you just be happy for me?" Marlene huffed.

"Let's see, could it possibly be because you got me pregnant?"

"Well I'm getting married whether you like it or not! I may love you, but I love Barry Kuda more."

"Could this conversation get any more pleasant for ME?" I cried.

"Just one more thing. It's a tiny little detail...everything I told you the night we hooked up was a lie." Marlene blurted out.

"I could've guessed that..." I sighed, massaging my temples.

"It's just...our evening...it was all, well, fake."

"So, what do you mean?" I asked, opening my eyes to give her a cold stare.

"Well, let me just go back to the beginning and make this story even longer, shall I?"

"Go on..." I sighed.

"So, about a month ago, I found out I was pregnant." She began.

"Shocker!" I said sarcastically.

"Anyway," Marlene said through gritted teeth, "I decided I really wanted to have the brood this time, instead of letting them die off like the other times. So, I went to my doctor and he proceeded to inform me of some...unfortunate news."

"What was it?" I asked, trying to hide my curiosity.

"...my STD was...causing the fry to...die. The number of eggs had originally started at seven, but over the course of a mere two weeks had caused the number to drop to...three." She breathed.

"Three? But...I'm only having-"

"-one. I know; I'm getting to that. I then realized I needed to take action quickly if my remaining babies were to survive. Barry isn't a seahorse, so he wasn't an option for the transfer. Also, Barry doesn't really want kids." She explained.

"But, you do?" I asked.

"Yeah, I want kids." She shrugged.

"Well, OK then, continue..."

"So, I began to think about getting a secret surrogate. I had also been going to a bar my friend ran. Not drinking, or course, but just spending time there and chatting with my friend, Steve. Turns out, it was the exact same bar you had been going to every week for the past year and a half."

"Wait, you were...watching me?" I cried out, entirely confused.

"I prefer the term 'observing'. I was too nervous to approach you after the way I'd left you in high school, so I just studied you for a bit." Marlene continued.

"I don't care WHAT you call it; it's stalking and it's creepy!" I shuddered.

"May I continue?"

"I don't know; are you going to tell me you've also been going through my trash?"

"Dan!" She cried.

"Fine!"

"So, I watched you for a bit and I began to think about asking you to carry the brood for me, but then I thought you wouldn't say yes." Marlene said.

"I wouldn't have..." I grumbled.

"I sort of figured that. So, I began to think about, well...seducing you." She sighed.

"Oh dear gosh..."

"So, a few days later, I finally got up the courage to talk to you. Actually, I more bumped into you in order to spill your drink on purpose."

"You DID?" I asked.

"Well, I didn't need you to be drinking alcohol; it's bad for the babies." She explained.

I shuddered at the thought of the idea that there was once more than one.

"So," I finally groaned, "I didn't have any drinks that night, did I?"

"If by drinks you mean virgin wine coolers, than yes, you had drinks." Marlene said.

"But, I ordered them." I said, confused.

"I had this pre-made deal with Steve; no alcohol in either of our drinks that night."

"Therefore, I wasn't drunk..." I summed up with a disparaging sigh.

"You really thought you were though. It was quite humorous to watch." Marlene almost giggled.

"Oh my God..."

"To continue the story," she said, "after talking and 'drinking' for a bit, we...um went back to your place. And, then we...you know. Then, after you fell asleep, I transferred the eggs to your brood pouch."

Just the idea of the whole process made me nauseated. I tried not to gag as I moved on my next question.

"But, there's only one. Why's that?"

"By the time they'd been fertilized, the other two had died and the last one was barely hanging on." She continued, seeming slightly upset.

"But...did I? I mean, will it...look like me?" I asked, not knowing if I'd be disappointed or grateful if she'd said no.

"Well, yeah. I mean, it is partially yours." She almost smiled.

"Ugh," I grumbled, choosing irritated, "and what exactly am I supposed to do with this child?"

"I'm actually hoping that, by the time it...arrives, I can convince Barry to be a dad."

"Wait, I'm just a...vessel?" I questioned.

"I prefer the term 'surrogate', and yes, you are. I told you that at the beginning of the conversation."

"So I carry this kid for nine weeks and then I don't even RAISE it?"

"I thought you would like this idea!" She cried.

"Frankly, I don't know WHAT I'd like right now, but I know I don't like to be used!"

"You just had to put it that way, didn't you?" She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I HAD to when it's true!" I cried out.

"Look, it's just a simple nine weeks, can't you just get over it?"

"No, no I can't. In fact...I think I want to get an abortion." I said with more confidence than I really had.

"You're going to WHAT?" Marlene screeched.

"You heard me! I refuse to go through with this!"

"Dan, that's a horrible thing to do!"

"Well, you're not the one that will have to go through with all this!" I retorted, my hands automatically landing on my stomach. Realizing this, I immediately ripped them off.

"Look, I would've gotten someone else, but I was running out of time! If I'd have waited any longer, the fry would have died." She cried.

"Well, seems like it's going to die anyway."

"You're such a BASTARD!" Marlene screamed, near tears.

"Apparently YOU liked me!" I replied.

I swam over to the door in a wave of fury. I felt Marlene's icy stare on my back.

"You know, Dan, you're not exactly the same guy I loved in high school." She muttered.

My mind momentarily pondered the word "loved", and wondered what it meant.

"I've grown up; I've changed." I said through gritted teeth, not looking at her.

"Oh that's bullshit. You couldn't handle change if it slapped you across the face." She laughed hatefully.

"I'm getting an abortion whether you like it or not!" I growled, throwing her front door open.

"Don't. You. Dare."

"Goodbye, Marlene." I said, swimming outside, then slamming the door behind me.

I wondered just what the hell I was doing.


	7. Bile

Chapter 7: Bile

I slammed the car door shut and gripped my hands on the wheel until I thought it might break. I slowly turned my head to glance at my friends, who were staring at me with concerned expressions.

"What?" I cried, irritated.

"Um, how'd...how'd it go?" Marc asked carefully.

"Just great..." I growled.

"So, what'd she say?" Cora added.

"I'll tell you on the way home."

I cranked the car and drove as quickly as I could away from my ex's house. As I did, I unwillingly began to tell them all that happened with Marlene. When I'd finished re-telling all the horrid events, we were already back to my apartment.

"Well," Marc muttered, "it doesn't sound like a TOTAL disaster."

"Yeah, I mean at least her non-ex boyfriend didn't storm in unannounced!" Cora said, adding to the positivity.

"Wow, Cora, thanks for the impending nightmares!" I cried, sarcastic as usual.

"Well, you know me!" Cora said. I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Hey, Dan, at least she'll be adopting the kid. You don't have to worry about raising it anymore." Marc added.

"Maybe not parenting it, but you still have to worry about having it. Good luck with that." Cora said, giving me a fake pat on the back.

"Well, actually, about that..." I said, turning off the car engine.

"What?" Cora and Marc asked in near unison.

"I...I'm...I'm getting an abortion." I admitted.

"WHAT?" The duo shrieked in now perfect unison.

"I'm having an abortion." I repeated, now more sure than last time.

A horrible silence filled the car. I gripped the wheel so hard I feared I might accidentally remove it. The tension was so thick you could've cut it with a knife.

"You...you're joking, right? You said you wouldn't!" Cora said.

"I said I didn't know what I was doing. Now that I know, I've decided to be done with this problem." I near growled, not daring to turn and look at Cora. I knew she had a death glare.

"Problem? What the hell are you thinking, Baldwin? You are just so...SELFISH!" Cora shrieked, making me cringe.

"Why do you care?"

"Well, maybe because you already promised the baby to Marlene!"

"I never promised her anything! This was her effin' idea!"

"Do you even give a crap about this kid? If she's raising it, it's not your problem!"

"No, to be honest Cora, I DON'T give a crap about this kid!"

"You're a total douche bag, you know that?" Cora screamed.

"You don't HAVE to be here, you know! If you don't like it, you can just leave!" I cried back at her.

"...fine," Cora said, smiling angrily, "I WILL leave. I don't want to be where I'm not wanted. But just realize this, Dan Baldwin. One day you're going to wake up and find that you are completely alone, and you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

And with that, Cora exited my car and slammed the door harder than ever thought to be possible. I just sat there for a minute, my anger boiling. I watched as Cora swam over to her motorcycle and mounted it. She quickly fastened on her helmet, then looked back at me with a steely glare. Cora silently raised her right fin and extended her middle finger. With her left fin, she pointed at it, then at me.

"Screw you." She mouthed silently. She then sped away in a cloud of sand.

I ground my teeth in irritation, loathing every fiber of her being. I'd almost forgotten Marc was still in the back seat. I cautiously looked at him in the rear-view mirror. He held a stony stare aimed at me.

"What?" I asked him.

"Well, that was entertaining." Marc almost laughed.

"For YOU, maybe."

"You know what, Dan? I'm pretty sure there's not a thing in my head that Cora didn't sum up in that little hissy fit she had. I agree with her; you are selfish, Dan, and you will end up alone."

"You forgot I'm also ugly and cynical." I growled in irritation, restraining myself from socking him in the face.

"I guess I did! By the way, don't call me, don't email me, and don't even THINK about knocking on my door or I WILL call the cops. Oh, and one more thing, Dan. Fuck you." Marc finished, also leaving the car.

He slammed the door even harder than Cora and sped over to the door of the apartment building. Unlike Cora, however, Marc neglected to send me any hateful gestures.

I sat completely still for a minute, feeling quite overwhelmed. My two best, and only, friends had just cursed me out and then ditched me. I'm sure I'd deserved it, but I really wasn't thinking about my faults right then. All I could think about was what unsupportive A-holes my friends were. I threw open the door and slowly scooted out. After slamming my door harder than both Marc and Cora combined, I floated there for a moment, steaming. I suddenly had an urge to put my fist through the car window, but decided against it due to later issues it might cause.

I took a few deep breaths and tried to refrain from killing myself right then and there. I sighed and swam through the front door of the apartment building. After swimming up two flights of stairs, I finally found myself back at my apartment door. My own home; the place I least wanted to be at. I carefully reached for the door knob, but stopped when I got a weird feeling I was being watched. I turned around and looked right at Marc's door. I scowled at it, knowing he was staring through that little peep hole of his.

I furiously threw my door open and entered. Once inside, I shut the door behind me with a "BANG!'. Not being able to contain my fury any longer, I flew over to my bed and let out a blood curdling scream into my pillow.

"I HATE EVERYONE!" I'd managed to squeeze this sentence into my cry of stress.

After getting that out of my system, my body had suddenly decided it wanted something else out of my system.

"Oh crud..." I gagged, slapping my hand over my mouth.

I flew from the bed and sped into the bathroom. I'd barely put my head in the toilet before my breakfast came back up. I panted and tried not to repeat the action. My stomach cramped as my body was near begging me to vomit again.

"You know," I spoke to my unborn, "you're not exactly trying to give me any reason why you should live."

I'd said it out of anger, and in retrospect, it was a very cruel sentence. I silently flushed the toilet and watched my pre-chewed food swirl away. I tried not to think about it as I went into the kitchen in search of ginger ale. I peered into my near bare fridge. Why I thought I had any type of necessary food items in my fridge, I didn't know. What I DID see was the last beer staring me right in the face. I was just about to have it in my grasp, when I remembered that alcohol was bad for embryos. I wondered why I cared, but for some reason I did. I slammed the fridge door shut, finding nothing else of interest.

I swam into my living room, massaging my temples and trying to ignore what had just happened. I floated onto my couch and glanced at the phone. I realized I was possibly one of the only fish in the tank who didn't own a cordless phone. I decided it was time to make the call; it would make me feel better. I yanked out a phone book that I didn't even know existed and began turning pages like no tomorrow. I finally came to the number I needed and dialed. My tail twitched in a newfound angst.

"Right Path abortion clinic. How can I help you?" A kind voice on the line said.

'What an ironic name...and a cheerful secretary.' I thought to myself.

"Hello...I...I need an abortion." I sighed, not trying to think about it.

"Alright then. Name?" She asked.

"...I'd rather not say."

"Sir, I need a name to put on the appointment."

"Fine. Erm, Baldwin." I said, knowing there was no point in using a fake name. No one would know.

"Alrighty then. Age?"

"Why do you need that?" I wondered.

"Just making sure you're over the age of eighteen." She almost chuckled.

"Way." I mumbled, cringing.

"Good. How far along are you?"

"Excuse me?"

"In your pregnancy, sir."

"Oh...three weeks. Out of...nine." I sighed.

"Okay, and how does a three-thirty appointment on Sunday sound?"

"Perfect." I said, wanting to hang up as soon as possible.

"One last thing, can I please get your number?" She requested "ever so kindly".

"I'd rather not. Can you...just have my promise I'll be there."

"That'd be fine. Bye-bye then."

"Bye." I said, near slamming the phone down on the receiver.

I gripped the cushion of the couch in a close to blind fury. Without warning, I grabbed my phone, ripped it out of the wall, and tossed it across the room. It clattered to the floor, straining my migraine.

Sunday. This would all be over on Sunday. My life would go back to normal and my friends would eventually forget this ever happened. I would never see Marlene again, but who cared?

So, why did I feel worse than before I made the call?

(FLASHBACK)

I leaned against my locker in the hallway. I simply floated there and watched the girl of my dreams talking to her friends. I tried to not think about hyperventilating as I imagined what would happen if she said "yes". We'd go on a nice date, maybe I'd get her some flowers, she'd possibly give me a kiss on her front porch before her overprotective father dragged her away from me. It was love. I just knew that Marlene Saltweed was going to be the girl I married. Now all I needed to do was say "hi".

This was going to be hard. I wasn't exactly the most popular fish at Freshwater High. I was a foster kid, enormously unattractive, and always lived by the words "What would Captain Aquarium do?". I was your typical grade-A nerd. And Marlene, well, she was like a fish Lady Godiva with clothes on. She was the only girl that could make me swoon. I could only dream about what she looked like with clothes off, and I just let my teenage boy mind run wild on that image.

I finally gathered up every last nerve in my body, and swam right up to her.

"Hello..." I said, shaking with fear.

"What's up?" She said, brushing her hair out of her face in the sexiest way.

"I'm a fan..." I said dumbly.

"Huh?" She asked, a confused look on her face.

Realizing what I'd just said, I blushed madly.

"What I meant was, I think you're...pretty. Would you like to go out with me...sometime?" I nearly spat out in an excited frenzy.

Without warning, Marlene's friends broke into loud squeals of laughter. She and I both gave them confused looks, wondering what was so funny.

"I can't believe he actually did it! What a loser!" One girl screamed.

"I KNOW, right? Isn't it funny, Marley?" The other cried.

"What are you talking about, guys?" Marlene asked.

"We convinced him to ask you out! We told him you liked him!" The first girl laughed.

In an instant, my heart was broken. It took every nerve in my body not to burst into tears right then and there. It was all just a horrible prank. Her friends HAD talked me into asking her out. They told me she had a crush on me, too. They had somehow convinced me Marlene Saltweed liked geeks.

Marlene gave me frown that said "I'm sorry...I didn't know...". But, I was too saddened to really notice. I swam away in a world of hurt. Just as I left, I felt something of mine slip out of my hands, but there was no way I was going back for it after what had just happened. I sped all the way to the second floor bathroom and locked myself in the nearest stall. I proceeded to vomit out of pure terror. I clumsily flushed and climbed on top of the toilet. I hugged my backpack to my chest and curled up into a ball. How did I ever think that someone as hot as Marlene Saltweed could ever like an ugly teenage seahorse like me?

Suddenly I hear a loud pounding on the stall door. I panicked, thinking it was another gang of bullies dying to smash my face inside out. I cautiously reached for the lock and threw it open.

"Please don't hurt me!" I cried out, flinching back like the wimp I was.

"I'm not gonna' hurt you, you sissy!" A very feminine voice said.

I looked up to see the girl I'd just run away from leaning on the door.

"How you doin'!" Marlene said, winking and nodding.

"What are you doing in the boys' bathroom?" I cried out.

"I'm not in the boys bathroom." She said smugly.

"Oh gosh..." I said, realizing where I was.

"C'mon. Just don't act like you did it on purpose. You'll seem like a perv."

"And if I did it on accident, I'll seem like an idiot."

"Just...c'mon!" Marlene took hold of my elbow and guided me out of the girls bathroom. She led me into the hallway.

"Here, I believe this is yours." Marlene said, handing me a familiar comic book.

"My 'Captain Aquarium' comic. How'd you know it was mine?" I asked.

"You really don't want me to answer that." She chuckled.

"True..." For some reason, I couldn't find words.

"So listen, my friends are total jerks. I told them off after you left. That so wasn't cool."

"Thank you..." I blushed.

"I was thinking, that was really brave of you. I think...I might take you up on that date offer."

"Really?" I breathed, feeling like I was choking.

"You're turning red as a crab. You alright?" Marley smiled.

"Never better." I grinned like the biggest idiot.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"Of course! Anything!"

"What's your name?"

"Oh, um, Daniel. Daniel Baldwin." I grasped her hand and shook it. She continued to giggle at my folly and I quickly stopped shaking her hand like a moron. Getting a better idea, I re-grasped her hand and kissed her knuckle.

I was in love.


	8. Abortion

Chapter 8: Abortion

[Author Note: Starting to think I named Baldwin after his voice, Dana Snyder.]

(PRESENT)

Right Path abortion clinic; its name stuck out like a sore fin. The building, however, was nothing short of ordinary. It was a stout, brick building with nearly no windows. It had no parking lot and seemed altogether inconvenient. My heart pounded just looking at it. I stared hard at the glass, metal-framed door. A very old-looking "open" sign hung lopsided in the window. It was very unfriendly seeming.

I continued to float there on the sidewalk, not yet finding the actual courage to enter.

'C'mon, Dan,' my mind pressured me, 'you can do this. The kid's not even alive yet.'

My thoughts only seemed to stress me out even further. I unknowingly lay a hand on my stomach, and even when I finally noticed, I didn't remove it.

'Get in there, you pansy!' My thoughts commanded.

The thought snapped me out of it, and I suddenly rushed through the door without hesitation. Once I was inside, however, all previous valor was gone. The waiting room was completely brown and had a musky smell to it. Bizarre lighting filled it that made the room darker than it should have been. The entry room was unnerving all on its own. I couldn't even imagine what the procedure rooms looked like.

"Sir," a voice suddenly piped up, "can I help you?"

I looked behind the check-in desk to see a young, female fish who was probably in her early 20's. She had on a nice smile and I could tell she wanted me to stop blocking the door.

"Hi." I managed, floating over to the desk where she was.

"Can I help you?" She repeated, still holding that eerie smile.

"I have an appointment..." I continued nervously.

"Good. Name?"

"...Baldwin." I finally replied, somehow forgetting my own name.

"Wait, you're that guy from the phone call. You didn't want to leave your number..." She remembered.

" That's me. You must be the fish I talked to." I said, suddenly recognizing her voice.

"Mm'hm. Anyway, here, take this..." She pushed a clip board across the desk to me.

"OK." I nodded.

"Just fill out everything on the form. It's just about your information, insurance provider, all that." She continued, pointing a pen to different places on the sheet.

"Sure thing." I muttered anxiously.

"Feel free to take a seat and bring that back when you're done, OK?" She said, just as cheery as ever.

"Will do..." I mumbled, then swam to the chair farthest away from her, and anyone else.

After finding the most uncomfortable seat, I cautiously examined the room. It was perhaps the most disgusting room I'd ever laid eyes on. All the chairs were either torn, parasite-eaten, or both. The reading material was moldy-looking and outdated. And, finally, the walls made you feel sticky just by LOOKING at them. The entire area looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years.

"Ugh..." I mumbled under my breath, shuddering. I tried not to touch anything.

'Marlene would hate it here...' I thought to myself, a crack of a smile appearing on my face.

I shook my head in an attempt to clear the thought from it. I started on the long form, wondering why I was thinking about Marlene of all people.

'Probably because you're killing off her child...' My mind thought cruelly.

I quickly shook that grim thought too, and started on the quite detailed form.

A near 20 minutes later, I'd finally finished the never-ending form. I'd probably signed my name on that thing at least 5 times. I took a deep breath and swam back up to the disturbingly cheery secretary.

"Done?" She asked, stretching out a fin to take the clipboard.

"Yes." I placed it in her hand.

"Well, great. I'll just have you wait for a bit. You came in a little late, so you'll probably have to wait slightly longer." She said with an apologetic face.

"That's...that's fine..." I shrugged, not really caring either way.

I glided back to the itchy chair where I once was. I crossed my arms, and tried to make myself feel comfortable, to no avail. The seat was simply too nasty. I decided to distract myself by people watching. I noted in angst that I was the only male fish in the room, and one of the only 2 seahorses. After I'd noticed that, that was the end of people watching.

I leaned back in my seat, suddenly feeling quite tired. I didn't know if the emotion had finally gotten to me, but I just felt exhausted. And, the minute I'd gotten comfortable, I was asleep.

"Baldwin." A voice called out, startling me from sleep.

I was glad I'd been woken up, though. My dream had been quite a disturbing one. My hand felt at my face. It was wet; I had been crying in my sleep. I wiped my eyes furiously, praying no one had seen that.

"Baldwin!" The voice repeated.

"Yes, yes?" I asked.

I discovered the voice was coming from a doctor wanting to take me back. I quickly swam up to him, my pulse suddenly racing.

"Follow me." He said, beckoning me down the hall.

I solemnly swam down the hall behind him. My confidence was gone, and my nausea was back. He led me to a small, depressing exam room. He handed me a gown, and nodded towards the room. I shut the door behind me, and started untying my tie. It was a red, polka-dotted bowtie that my mother had given me for my first day as a teacher. I'd worn it every day ever since. My tie and I had been through a lot together.

I stuffed it into my shirt pocket, and quickly removed my shirt. I slipped on the gown and attempted to tie it, but my fingers kept fumbling, so I stopped. I sat down on the examination table, still feeling tired. Or, maybe I was anxious, I couldn't tell. One thing I could tell, though, I was going to barf at least once by the end of the appointment.

'So, this is it, then,' I thought, 'I'm really going through with this. It's for the better, though. I wasn't meant to have kids.'

I'd only been sitting on the exam table for five minutes before someone knocked on the door.

"Come in..." I sighed.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Flo. How can I help you today?" A beautiful, black-haired clownfish entered the room.

"I...need an abortion..." I said, making it almost sound like a question.

"Of course, of course. So, I'll need to do a quick ultrasound to show me how far along you are."

"I'm three weeks. Is that enough for you?" I asked, trying to avoid an ultrasound at all costs.

"I'm sorry, sir. I really need to perform an ultrasound to be sure." She said.

"...OK." I sighed reluctantly.

"Now just lie back and try to put your mind elsewhere, alright?" Dr. Flo said, rolling over the ultrasound machine.

"Fine." I muttered, laying back on the uncomfortable table.

She lifted my gown, exposing my flat stomach. After coating the wand in gel, she swerved it across my midsection. I cringed in disgust.

"Déjà vu." I murmured.

"Excuse me?" The doctor asked.

"I just said...déjà vu."

"Have you had an abortion before?" She asked, continuing to look at the screen.

"No, I was talking about the ultrasound."

"Oh. Well, everything looks good. You were right, you're a little over three weeks." She flipped the computer off and wiped off my middle.

"What comes next?" I asked, not too excited about what was happening.

"Well, you have one of two options."

"What's the first?" I asked, sitting up on the table.

"We can perform the abortion here. We'll give you a drug that will push the embryo out of your system. You'll get pain meds, but you will be awake through it. You will also need a ride home, as you won't be able to drive yourself." Dr. Flo explained.

"And, option two is what?" I asked, feeling even more anxious about this decision.

"Some people prefer, um, to go through this process at home."

"Huh?" I asked, confused and slightly disturbed.

"I can give you a prescription for some pills you can take at home that will do the same thing our drugs here would do." Dr. Flo explained.

"Oh gosh...um, wouldn't that be a bit...messy?" I cringed, the urge to vomit building.

"Not if you have some spare towels, and it also may hurt a little bit."

"A little bit?"

"OK, a lot. But, it's been proven that supportive friends or loved ones help ease pain." She clarified.

"Friends...I see..." I mumbled, scowling as I thought of my "friends".

"We'd also need to make a follow-up appointment for either decision. Just to see how your body is doing after all that."

"Right..."

"Any more questions?" Flo asked.

"Just one; why are you...why do you do...what you do?" I replied hesitantly.

"You mean, why do I work at an abortion clinic?"

I nodded.

"Same reason as any other doctor; I help people."

"How do you figure that?" I asked, slightly sarcastic.

"I just prefer to see people who know they aren't ready to be parents, instead of idiots who are parents and are awful ones." She continued.

"That's an interesting way of thinking about it."

"Well, thank you. Oh, and have you made your decision yet? Do you want to do one or two?" The doctor asked.

"Right, um...I guess I'll go with the pills, then." I decided, still feeling unnerved by the whole idea.

"Are you sure? You seem nervous."

"I'm sure." I said, my voice more confident than I was.

"Alright. I'll be right back with that prescription." She smiled, then left.

I was alone with my thoughts; it was the worst place for me to be. All I could do was question myself if I really wanted to do this or not. And every time the question entered my mind, my morning sickness lurched inside me. After several minutes of my nausea battling my thoughts, Dr. Flo finally returned.

"OK, here is you prescription. I'd take that to a pharmacy as soon as possible. Alright?" She said, handing me a slip of paper.

"Sure..." I nodded solemnly.

"Mr. Baldwin, I don't mean to pry, but I can't help but notice you're here alone."

"I am. The mother...wouldn't understand." I nodded.

"I guess I'll leave it at that, then." Dr. Flo shrugged.

"I appreciate it."

"So, if you'll just get your clothes on and see yourself out, OK?" She gestured her fin towards the door.

"Dr. Flo?" I said suddenly.

"Mm'hm?"

"You're...very kind." I mumbled.

"Thank you. Oh, and good luck, alright?" She winked at me, then left again.

Once she was gone, I quickly removed my gown and slipped back into my familiar yellow shirt. Whilst retying my tie, I couldn't help but wonder what my mother might think of all this. She'd probably be disappointed; she always did want grandkids. Once again, I tried to shake the thought from my mind. She'd never even know about this.

I quickly exited the exam room as quickly as I came. I wanted to be out of the building as soon as possible. As I swam out the entrance, I noticed the desk-girl had waved "bye" to me. I didn't return one. I rushed across the deserted road to my car, and threw myself into the drivers' seat. I slammed the door shut and gripped the freezing wheel. I didn't move for what seemed like hours, but merely stared into space trying to process what had just happened. It all seemed like a blur.

I hesitantly pulled the prescription from my shirt pocket. I unfolded it and stared at it numbly. I wondered stupidly if it was real.

'Of course it's real,' part of my mind said, 'now, go take it to a pharmacist and be done with this problem!'

'But, if I do that, the baby will die.' A softer part of my mind thought.

'That's the point! It's a harsh reality, but c'mon, Baldy, you can't raise a kid! You said it yourself!'

'I can't raise a kid, you're right.'

'Of course I am. Let's get this over with...'

'I can't raise a kid. But-'

"-Marlene can," I said out loud, "and it's her kid, too. And, as much as I hate it...I'd do anything to have her back in my life."

And with that, I gripped the paper hard and tore it right down the middle. I slowly came back to reality, and stared at the 2 halves of the prescription. My emotions surged, and I suddenly felt a mix of relief and fear. My one chance at ending this whole thing was gone. However, I couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing. I felt a few tears form in my eyes; tears of what, I didn't know, but I vigorously wiped them away. I slowly lowered my head onto the steering wheel, feeling stressed again.

"I hope you're happy, Marley." I thought, but while smiling a little.

(FLASHBACK)

"Well, the last one's finally asleep." Marlene whispered, gently tucking in one of my many foster siblings.

"At last..." I yawned, rubbing my eyes.

"We make quite the babysitting team, Danny boy." My girlfriend winked at me.

"Well, you're not so bad yourself, Marley." I kissed her hand.

"Shh! Let's slip out before we wake them." Marley hushed me, guiding me out of the room.

I watched in fascination as she was able to shut the door without so much as a squeak.

"You're good!" I commented.

"Hush, you!" She grinned flirtily.

She then zipped down the stairs, and I chased after her happily. I watched as she flung herself onto the living room couch with glee. Before I could stop myself, I'd thrown myself onto the cushions right next to her. Marlene then grabbed my shirt collar and planted a big smooch on my lips. I think I swooned a bit, and I know I blushed as red as her hair.

"Wow..." I sighed, not knowing quite what else to say.

"You're welcome." She giggled. Music to my ears.

"Do you think...we're becoming closer?" I asked her.

"Well, yeah I guess. I mean, we ARE dating. Anyway, I think you're getting more self-confident." She grinned.

"You think?"

"Mm'hm."

"I really appreciate that, Marley..." I blushed a little.

I watched nervously as Marlene sweetly hugged her arms around my torso and wrapped her tail around mine. I could smell her hair, which smelled faintly like bubble gum. It made me dizzy with happiness.

"Dan?" She said suddenly, startling me a bit.

"Yeah?" I asked, trying not to stutter.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of...of course..." I said, wondering in angst about what she would say.

"Have you ever considered, I dunno', being a...dad?" Marlene inquired.

The question put a lump in my throat, and I panicked inside.

"Marley...you're not, I mean, you know...right?" I managed, a little freaked out.

"Huh? Oh! Oh God no! I'm not pregnant; I was just wondering, you know, hypothetically." She chuckled nervously, blushing as well.

"Oh good. Well, I guess I...I've never really thought about it..." I admitted.

"Really?" She asked, seeming a tad shocked.

"Really. But, if I had to say, I probably wouldn't want to be a dad." I sighed.

"But why? You'd make such a good one, in my opinion."

"Why do you think that?" I asked, slightly surprised.

"Dan, you have such a big heart! And, I see the way you take care of your brothers and sisters; it's so sweet!" My crush grinned.

"But, they're my siblings. It's only a temporary thing while Mom and Dad are out! It's not a full time thing! It's just 'cause I'm the oldest!" I near growled.

"So? Still means you have the skills to take care of a kid."

"Marlene, I just don't want to be a parent."

"Yet, you want to be a teacher?" She raised an eyebrow.

"My desire to teach is unrelated to not wishing to be a dad, OK?"

"Fine..." She crossed her arms, scowling.

"What is it? Why does that bother you?" I asked her.

"Because, Daniel, I want to be a mother." She huffed.

"Oh..." I whispered, feeling rather guilty now.

I took a moment to think of the next thing to say. Well, a long moment.

"Marley," I finally spoke up, "I may not want to be a father..."

"Apparently!" She cut me off.

"But, I have this feeling I'd be OK being a dad...if you were the mom." I blushed madly. It sounded extremely corny.

"Really?" Marley asked, flashing me her pretty green eyes.

"Yeah, I mean, I guess I could." I forced a smile.

Marlene proceeded to show the biggest grin I'd ever thought possible, and pecked me on the cheek.

"Oh, Danny," she sighed, "I think I love you."

"I love you, too, Marley." I blurted out unconsciously, intertwining my tail in hers once more.


	9. Advice

Chapter 9: Advice

(PRESENT)

"And that, class," I concluded to my comatose students, "is why teachers nowadays aren't paid nearly enough."

No sooner had I finished the lecture when the bell suddenly let out its cringe-worthy peal. My students proceeded to empty the room so fast, I could have blinked and they'd be gone.

'Yeah, yeah. Get outta' my sight.' I thought, sitting back down at my desk. I rubbed my head in agony as a migraine gripped my skull. I shuffled through papers on my desk, hoping to get a little organized before my next class. It was an effort I didn't wish to spend my lunch break on. However, the migraine went hand-in-hand with my morning sickness, and I wondered what the point was.

"Mr. Baldwin?" A small tone piped up. I looked up to see the flaming red hair of what was Miss Goldfishberg.

"Yes?" I asked her.

"I just wanted to give you my work. I, um, finished it early." Bea said, pushing her paper onto my desk.

"Put it in the tray." I mumbled. I watched as she did so, but then she didn't leave.

"Mr. Baldwin?" She said again.

"Yes, Bea?" I said through gritted teeth.

"Are you alright? You seemed...out of sorts, today."

"I'm fine...I'm just having-"

'-a baby' My mind finished.

"-a bad day." I finished aloud.

"Oh, well I hope it improves." Bea said, grinning.

"Me too." I sighed.

I looked up; Bea still hadn't moved.

"Anything else?" I asked.

"Yeah...just this one thing." Bea mumbled nervously.

"Shoot." I said.

"Well, uh, I'm not sure how to put this; it's a little...awkward."

"Try me." I near chuckled.

"So, we're learning about, er...reproduction in health class-"

"Hang on," I stopped her, "is this something you should...ask your parents?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh no! I was just wondering...if it's true that, um, th-the male seahorses...have the offspring?" She asked, blushing furiously.

'Oh no,' I thought, 'she knows. Am I showing yet? Surely not...'

"I'm not." I blurted out blindly, trying to lie for a question she didn't ask.

"...pardon?" Bea asked.

"I...what did I just say?"

"...'I'm not'?"

"Yes!" I nodded.

"OK...what?" She said, confused.

"I said 'yes' to your question. Yes, it is an...unfortunately true statement."

"Oh, alright then. So, do you have any kids?" Bea continued.

"No." I lied.

"Oh. Do you want any?"

"No." I repeated, wishing she would leave.

"Oh, OK then. Well, um, I'm going to lunch now. Bye." She said awkwardly, swimming for the door.

"Bea, wait." I said, curiosity stepping in.

"Yes?" She said.

"You said you take health. Who is your teacher?"

"It's Coach Salmons, but he's everyone's health teacher." Bea replied, then swam out the door.

I sat back in my chair, enjoying the moment of silence I had. After chewing on my thoughts for several minutes, I finally grabbed my lunch and swam in the direction of the teachers' lounge.

"I need help." I said, sitting down in front of Salmons.

He looked at me for a moment, then lowered his sandwich back onto the table.

"You should consult a therapist." He responded.

"Let me clarify; I need YOUR help."

"I don't believe we've ever associated, and you're asking ME for help?" Salmons asked, eyebrow raised.

"We've talked...about stuff..." I muttered, knowing he was right.

"Daniel, what's my name?" He tested me.

"...Sam?" I attempted.

"Sam Salmons? Really? It's Richard, Daniel, but nice try." He chuckled.

"Sorry..." I grumbled.

"What do you want? If it's anything financial, law related, or illegal, I can't help you." He said.

"It's nothing like that...I just...need insight." I said.

"Insight? That's a new one..." Salmons mused.

"Medical insight."

"I'm no doctor."

"It's nothing too specific."

"...fine." He said hesitantly.

"Good. Um, could we talk...elsewhere? I don't really want other fish to hear this conversation..." I requested.

"Afraid of others eavesdropping?"

"Something like that." I muttered.

"I suppose we could move this to my office. I warn you, though; you might lose your appetite in there. It smells a little like male teenage fish."

"Trust me, I have no appetite." I cringed slightly, trying not to think about morning sickness.

As he led me down the extensive halls of Freshwater, I wondered if I could trust this weirdo with my secret. I wouldn't have liked to tell him in the first place, but I really needed advice, and my friends hated me. Richard Salmons was the only thing close to a medical professional at Freshwater, and the only co-worker who was even remotely sane.

"Alrighty then..." Salmons chimed, throwing the door to his office open.

A smell that was a mixture of sweat and old laundry wafted from the doorway. It immediately triggered my gag reflex, and I tried not to vomit.

"What is that?" I choked out.

"I tend to store used gym equipment in here. I apologize in advance." He explained, floating into the room. I followed him with no amount of eagerness.

"Could you open that window?" I requested.

"Oh, yes! Of course!" He nodded, rushing to throw it open.

With Salmons distracted, I took the time to think of how to word what I wanted to say. I watched blankly as he shoved his squeaky office window ajar; all the while, my mind was reeling. Salmons suddenly floated back down behind his desk, and gestured to a seat in front of it.

"So," he began, "you wanted to say something."

"So...do you have any kids?" I bluntly asked.

'Way to start a conversation...' I thought to myself.

"Well, no. I don't."

'This'll be pleasant...' I sarcastically thought.

"Well, I mean, I WOULD have children, but male SALMON can't reproduce...and well the adoption system isn't very kind to...gay males."

I stared at him blankly for what seemed like an eternity. I felt myself slowly but surely raising my eyebrow.

"You're-" I began.

"-yes, I am. You don't have to act so surprised. There's even a rumor going around that I'm female!" Salmons chuckled.

"I...I didn't mean...sorry." I muttered, slightly embarrassed.

"I would appreciate it if you kept that between us. I'm not exactly honest with my fellow employee's."

I nodded, not trusting myself to give a polite comment.

"Do YOU have children?" He asked.

"Well...actually...about that..."

"Daniel?"

"Mm?"

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" Salmons asked, raising an eyebrow.

"...are you psychic?" I stupidly asked, wondering how on earth he came to the conclusion that quickly.

"No," he chuckled, "you're just being obvious."

"Am I?" I chuckled nervously, really ready to swim out of the room.

"I didn't realize you had a lady friend."

"I don't," I assumed he meant girlfriend, "I'm single...don't get any ideas!"

"Oh, Daniel, you really shouldn't stereotype!" Salmons rolled his eyes.

"Whatever..."

"Anyway, I suppose a 'congratulations' is in order."

"Not exactly. I'm not keeping it."

"No?"

"No. Mar...the mother is adopting it." I explained.

"Well, what does all this have to do with me?" He asked.

"Nothing. I...just need some advice." I sighed, unconsciously laying a hand on my stomach. It had barely begun forming a tiny bump. I cringed just thinking about it.

"Daniel, I don't have children; we've been over this. The only thing remotely close I have to offspring is my sister's kids. Although, I don't see them much since my entire family is comprised of pious, narrow-minded idiots." He continued, muttering the last sentence so he thought I wouldn't hear.

"It's not that," I leaned closer to his desk."Listen, you're a health teacher. You know a lot about reproduction and babies, right?"

"So?" He said, crossing his fins.

"So, I don't, and I need a known person who does."

"I'm not a doctor."

"I already have a doctor. I just need to talk to somebody who teaches this kind of thing every day."

I watched him as he silently looked me up and down. He bit his lip in thought.

"How far along are you?" He finally asked.

"I don't know."

"Guess."

"Maybe almost four weeks." I estimated.

"You've seen a doctor already? Isn't that what you said?"

"Yeah..." I nodded.

"You need to go back." He near commanded.

"I hate it there…" I muttered.

"Well, you'll just have to get used to it. You'll need to go almost every week. That's my advice, Daniel. Take it or leave it."

"Isn't there anything else you could tell me?" I almost begged.

"Look, if you're really that clueless about seahorse pregnancy, I suggest you find some reading material. Oh, and I heard crackers and ginger ale help morning sickness, which you so clearly suffer from."

"How did you-"

"To put it bluntly, you smell like vomit." He answered with an almost cruel smile.

"Thanks for the complement…" I rolled my eyes.

"Daniel, why are you going through with this? It's clear you're very unhappy. Even more so than usual. Didn't you consider abortion?"

"You don't like to beat around the bush, do you?"

"I don't like to avoid obvious questions. You can't deny the elephant-fish in the room."

"I was going to have one, but…I couldn't do it." I explained.

"I see."

"Anyway, quit calling me 'Daniel'. You sound like my mother." I groaned.

"Sorry, Danie…Dan." Salmons corrected himself.

"Thanks."

"So, if you have no more questions, I'd like to go back to the teacher's lounge." He said, leaving his chair.

"Just one. Did you attend Freshwater?"

"Yes. I graduated in '89. Why?" He sat back down.

"You were a freshman when I was a junior." I said.

"I know. I saw you a few times, but you never noticed me. You were too wrapped up in that girlfriend of yours." He smiled coyly.

"Yeah. I guess I was." I chuckled.

"Marlene Saltweed. We were friends; still are."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes we are. I haven't talked to her in a bit…"

"I guess you should know…she's the mother." I informed him.

"Really? I thought she had a fiancé. Barry…something."

"She does. She tricked me into having this kid for her."

"Sounds like Marley." He mused.

"Not a Marley I'M familiar with."

"Wait…did you just say 'kid'? As in one baby?" Salmons' eyes widened.

"Yeah. All the others died off. Something to do with Marlene's STD." I explained.

"I remember that. It was really hard on her."

"Was I the ONLY fish who didn't know why she moved?"

"No, she kept it quiet. Marley only told a few of her friends. Including me."

"Oh…" I said, now feeling crestfallen.

"Well, she did say she'd miss you most of all. If that makes you feel better." He added.

"Salmons, why did I never notice you in high school?"

"It was possibly because I was a scared teenage homosexual running from bullies. I wasn't out to make many friends." He grinned.

"I'm sorry." I said, but I didn't know why.

"Look, I need to go, but it was…interesting talking to you." He said, seeming ready to leave.

"Alright. Can I ask you one more thing, though?" I wondered aloud.

"What is it?" He asked, an air of impatience in his voice.

"Can you keep the things I told you to yourself?" I requested.

"If you can keep my sexual orientation to yourself, yes." He agreed.

"So, does this mean we're friends?"

"God forbid you actually LIKE anyone in this building." He rolled his eyes and smiled.

"I'll just go now." I said, swimming towards the door.

"Well, I'm going too, so hold the door." He said, floating out the doorway.

"Thank you for your advice." I said.

"I help when I can." He nodded.

I began to swim in the opposite direction, feeling more confused than before we'd talked. I wondered what would happen when my pregnancy became obvious. I felt sick again.

"Oh, and Daniel!" A familiar voice called.

"Yes?" I sighed, not wanting to talk to Salmons any more.

"Congratulations!" He called back.

I sighed to myself, but not unhappily. I knew I at least I had one fish's support. Even if it wasn't one of my friends.


	10. Gender

Chapter 10: Gender

I was just over four weeks pregnant. My lanky form now sported a small but definite bump which housed my ex's child. I refused allow myself the mindset that the baby was mine, even though I was carrying it. For some reason the thought just didn't compute, possibly because I didn't want it to. I couldn't help but stare at my now distended stomach, but I didn't dare touch it. It was almost as though I'd been willing the embryo to simply disappear. It clearly wasn't working.

I leaned my head back against the chair. I tried to clear my head; to not think about the long list of things I needed to do that day. The appointment at the infernal doctor's office was just the first thing on my imaginary To-Do list. The only thing I enjoyed about sitting in that waiting room was knowing I didn't have to spend my Tuesday teaching. For once.

"Your first?" A voice asked out of the blue. I traced the voice to a seahorse sitting next to me. He too was pregnant.

"What?" I muttered, half asleep. I hadn't realized I'd dozed off.

"Um, your…first?" He gestured first to his stomach, then mine.

"Oh," I understood, nodding slowly. "Yeah."

"How, um, how many are you carrying?"

"One." I replied, my hand unconsciously was placed on my stomach. When I realized this, I ripped it off like I'd touched a hot stove instead of my own skin.

"Hundred?"

"No. Just…just one."

"Really? Interesting. I've never heard of that."

"It's…rare…" I mumbled.

"Well, I'm having nine. It's my third time." He said, excitement coating his voice.

"A…are…do you…do you raise all of them?" I asked, my mind not processing that one could have 9 at once.

"Oh no. After they're born, they go to loving families." He explained, rubbing his belly tenderly in a way I never could.

"…foster homes?" I asked. I wondered what his definition of "loving families" was.

"No, no. Selected adoptive parents. Me and my wife choose them. I'm somewhat of a surrogate for less fortunate couples." He continued.

"Don't you, you know…miss them once they're gone?"

"Of course I do. But, I spend some time my own children after the fry are born, and I recover."

"You have your own kids?" For some reason, I was now sucked into this fish's story.

"Five of them. From the first pregnancy. Two boys and three girls. The boys are like twins, they have the same personality. But, the girls, they're all over the place! It's crazy, they're all so hormonal..I'm sorry. I don't mean to rant about my teenage offspring. What's the gender of your child?" He blathered on.

"Unknown right now." I sighed.

"It might be nice to know. If you wanted to decorate a nursery."

At this point, I really didn't want to talk to him anymore, so I ignored this statement. I watched out of the corner of my eye as he turned back to looking at his magazine. After a moment, a female seahorse, who I assumed to be his wife, sat down beside him and kissed him on the cheek. For a split second, I wished Marlene was with me.

"Baldwin?" A calm voice said.

"Yes?" I looked up to see the calm yet stern face of Dr. Herrington.

"Follow me."

I swam up behind him as he led me through a doorway to a completely white examination room. I could've sworn it was the same room I'd been in the first time, but they all sort of looked the same.

"I'm a bit surprised to see you again. I thought you were having an abortion." He commented.

"Changed my mind last minute."

"Is your…friend here with you?" He asked, shutting the door behind him.

"Cora? No."

"Good. She would've had to wait outside."

I remembered that the last time I was here, she had been a bit pushy and arrogant. And, for a moment, I almost missed her.

"Do I have to put a gown on?" I cringed a little.

"Are you wearing anything under your shirt?" Herrington inquired.

"A t-shirt."

"That's fine then. I'm going to fetch a blood pressure cuff, so disrobe while I'm gone." He instructed, then disappeared out the door.

I started with my tie, gently untying it and pulling it from around my neck. After stuffing it in my shirt pocket, I unbuttoned my top buttons and slipped it over my head. This disrobing had become an almost habitual process.

I stared down at my bump once more. It barely made a dent in my loose fitting tee, but I knew, if this progressed, it wouldn't always be like this.

'God, Marlene,' I thought, 'why me?' This wasn't the first time I asked this question.

A knock at the door brought me back to earth.

"I'm decent." I joked halfheartedly.

"I found a blood pressure cuff." Dr. Herrington grinned as he floated through the doorway.

"Great." I said sarcastically, not looking forward to my arm being strangled.

"So," he said, wrapping the cuff around my arm, "how are you feeling?"

"Emotionally or physically? 'Cause, to be honest, I really don't want to talk about my feelings. And, you probably don't want to hear about them."

"Physically." Herrington said, putting his stethoscope to my arm as he began to inflate the cuff. I could hear him rolling his eyes in his voice.

"Well, I've stopped vomiting." I began.

"Good, good. That's good…" His voice trailed off as he watched my arm intently.

After another moment, the blood pressure cuff deflated, and was removed from my arm. I gave my newly aching appendage a rub.

"Anything else? Anything at all?" He asked.

"My backs been aching." I added, hoping I didn't sound whiny.

"Badly?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Not unbearably."

"Your body is probably just adjusting; especially since this is your first time. Call me if it gets unbearable." Herrington instructed.

I nodded.

"Anything else you'd like me to know? Anything unusual?" He persisted.

"I'm…gaining weight." I half joked.

"I assure you that's completely normal for someone in your condition." The doctor chuckled.

"I figured…"

"Just make sure to stay in shape, alright?"

I nodded.

"Now, let me take a listen to the old ticker." He requested, adjusting his stethoscope.

"Whatever…" I muttered.

As he placed the instrument on different parts of my chest and back, I couldn't help but think that doctors tended to make up weird names for body parts.

"Alright, so I want to take a small blood sample." Herrington said, beginning to wash his fins.

"If you must…" I sighed. I prayed that he would forget about an ultrasound altogether. I doubted that would be the case.

"Just try to relax…" He said, wrapping a tight rubber band around my arm.

"Needles don't scare me." I slightly scoffed.

"Fair enough." Herrington pushed the needle into my elbow. I watched my blue-colored blood flowing into the plastic vial. When it was full, he plucked the IV from my arm and slapped a Band-aid on it.

"Done?" I asked, wanting to leave.

"I'll send this to the lab for testing." He said.

"So, I can go?"

"Not quite. Now it's time for your favorite part." He smiled in a slightly sinister way.

"I have a favorite part?" I wondered aloud.

Herrington wheeled over an ultrasound machine.

"If you'll please lie down…" He instructed, swimming away to turn off the lights.

"Must we?" I groaned, complying in irritation when he returned.

"We must." He nodded, pulling back my white tee.

I couldn't help but stare at my slightly swollen stomach as the doctor applied a small amount of petroleum jelly. And, as he began to shift the wand across my midriff, I couldn't help but watch the screen with mild interest. The fry appeared on the screen and squirmed, as though it knew it was being watched. A sudden muffled thumping noise filled the room.

"What is that irritating din?" I grumbled, making sure I wasn't hearing things.

"Well, that would be the baby's heartbeat." He answered.

"Is it supposed to be that…fast?" I said, not quite sure how to feel about it.

"It sounds perfectly normal. Strong, in fact."

"Great…" I sighed, less than sincere.

"So, you're far enough along. Would you like to know the gender?"

"…no, um, not really." I sighed.

"Wanting to be surprised?" Herrington asked.

"Something like that…"

"Alright then. I guess we are done…"

I absentmindedly watched him fiddle with the computer until the screen turned off. The machine spit out a blurry black and white picture of the fry. He handed it to me, and for a split second, Marlene, the second half of this process, came to mind.

"Dr. Herrington," I said suddenly, "would it be possible if you could, maybe, tell the gender from the photo?"

"Changed your mind? That was fast."

"Not me. The…the mother would like to know. I could care less…" I admitted.

"Well, I could try." He said as I handed the photo to him.

He examined the print out for a moment or two, then smiled.

"You're having a girl." He informed me, returning the picture to my open hand.

I stared at the picture for a long time, trying to find any sign that would signify one gender or the other. I found none.

"A…girl?" I asked, wondering why that was surprising to me.

"Indeed." He said, giving me a towel to clean my stomach.

"How can you tell?" I asked.

"The tail shape is the giveaway. Female seahorses tend to have a more curved tail." The doctor explained.

I scrutinized the photo again, wondering what I missed.

"Am I just blind?" I asked him.

"No," he chuckled, "it's hard to tell if you're not a medical professional."

"So, why is it…she so much bigger than normal?"

"What do you mean?"

" I did some research on seahorse reproduction, and fry are only about the size of an orange. They don't get much bigger until after they're born. So, tell me why this baby is already the size of a softball at only 4 weeks!"

"Well, if my estimation is correct-and mind you I've never dealt with a pregnancy of less than four-the baby feels that, because she's alone in there, she feels she can…grow a bit more than normal. Fish grow to fit their environment." He explained.

"Should I be concerned?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not at all. She shouldn't get bigger than this…" He held up his fins to be a little less than a fish-foot apart.

"I see…" I sighed, wrapping my arm around my middle.

"So, do you have any other questions?"

"Just one. I met this male seahorse in the waiting room. He said he's some sort of a surrogate. Is that…common?"

"Are you looking into it?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No. Trust me. I was just asking?"

"It's not too uncommon, but not to common either. I've heard of several cases, but Reed's the only one who I treat. You know, seahorses didn't used to raise their offspring. Not long ago they used to leave the fry to fend for themselves." He informed me.

"Why did that change?" I wondered.

"Hippocampus population decreased. You're almost a member of an endangered species."

"Fascinating!" I said sarcastically.

"Anything else I can help you with?" He asked.

"Just…one more question." I said.

"Will it make me late for my next appointment?" Herrington scowled.

"No, um, I was wondering if it was possible to find genetic parents through medical records."

"For the baby? I thought you knew the mother."

"For me. I was a foster child, and I've recently been wondering about my real parents due to my…condition."

"I can't find a parental match unless you have a DNA test. Sorry."

"Oh…"

"Look, I hate to kick you out, but…I need to kick you out."

"It's fine. I can take an obvious hint." I rolled my eyes, throwing on my shirt.

I swam out the door, eager to leave and do anything I deemed more important. Dr. Herrington yelled at me something about scheduling the next appointment on the phone. I felt depressed at the thought of not being able to find my real parents. I knew I was one of those fry abandoned by their parents.


	11. Displacement

Chapter 11: Displacement

(FLASHBACK)

I sat silently in the backseat of the moving station wagon. My suitcase, filled with my few possessions, lay unmoving in the lap of my tail. I was 14 fish-years-old, and this was my 7th foster home.

I had never exactly been the ideal child, and was almost always picked by the foster homes as a last resort. I wasn't attractive, I wasn't an athlete, and I wasn't the most engaging fish around. Instead I was a scrawny, "nerd" of sorts who was also a recluse. After arriving at the 4th house, I'd stopped unpacking my bag. I'd simply count down the days until the couple would ship me on to the next home. I intended on repeating the process when I moved into this new house.

I looked up in the rearview mirror, hoping the driver wouldn't notice me inspecting them. She had wavy, pale green hair and soft peach-colored skin. She was a seahorse, like me, which was a first. She was also my new "mother". She glanced up in the mirror, spotting my staring eyes. I quickly looked away, embarrassed.

"How you doin' back there?" She asked.

I didn't respond, not exactly knowing what to say. I was nervous, tired, depressed, angry, and every other emotion in the book. How could I ever choose just one?

" You could at least tell me your name." She smirked.

"You first." I said.

"Ah ha! So he does speak! Well, my name is Anemone. You can call me Ann for short." She chuckled.

"That's quite a mouthful." I commented.

"It is, but it's a family name. Your turn!"

"…Daniel. My name's Daniel." I replied.

"Daniel, huh? You got a nickname? Danny, or something?"

"No, just Daniel."

"Alright then, Daniel. So, how many homes you been in?" Ann inquired.

"Er…6. This is my 7th." I answered.

"Is that so? That sounds tough." She commented.

I didn't reply.

"Hey, you can talk to me. Anything you say won't be held against you." She laughed.

"You don't have to pretend to like me." I said.

"I'm not pretending." She smiled.

"Bullshit," I snapped, "you're just going to send me back to the agency within a month! Just like all the others!"

"Well, with that attitude, I certainly would!" She replied.

"Then do it already! I'm tired of being kept in suspense; just ship me off to the next house like cargo!" I cried.

Suddenly Ann slammed on the breaks, and the car screeched to a halt. Being slammed against my seat knocked the water and the cynicism out of me. I unwillingly began to cry out of pure anger.

"Look, Daniel, I'm not exactly a fan of your obscene language, but I'm not gonna' send you back." Ann said, sounding a little sad.

I was shocked at how she continued to be nice, even after I had just acted like a complete ass.

"You have no idea what it's like. You foster home parents never do." I grumbled, continuing to be a jerk.

"Hey, you know something? I was a foster kid, too." She admitted.

"Huh? Really?" This was another first. Two in one day.

"I was in as many foster homes as you are years old."

"That's…that's a lot, I must admit." I said, wiping my eyes.

"Yep. So, I decided helping kids like you would be my life goal."

"Pretty bland goal." I muttered.

"I know you don't want to trust me yet; I get it. I just really want you to know that, once you get to my place, you're not going anywhere." She grinned.

"You mean, I'll be OK to stay for a bit? Maybe a few months?"

"Maybe until you graduate, silly."

"You're serious?" I asked.

"As the dropsy." She joked.

"Wait, how many other kids are there?" I wondered, trying not to let myself get carried away in my own excitement.

"Only about nine."

"How many will I be bunking with?"

"Just one other kid. Don't worry." She informed me.

"Only one? No fooling?"

"Mm'hm. Sounds good, eh?"

"Sounds…unbelievable." I said, truly not believing her.

"I guess you'll just have to see it to believe it."

"I suppose I will. I probably won't even get to stay long enough to enjoy it." I sighed.

"Hey, there's no need to be negative. You're staying, alright?" She assured me.

"If you say so, Anemone." I said.

"Please," she said, reaching back to pat my hand, "call me Ann."

(PRESENT)

"Mom!" I snorted, waking up from my doze.

I realized quickly that instead of being in a comfortable bed, I was asleep at my desk. A desk that was covered in ungraded papers.

"Urgh…" I groaned, looking up at the clock. It was 10:30 at night. My bed looked so inviting from where I was sitting.

'Maybe I'll grade these later.' I thought.

I scooped up all the papers off my desk and shoved them into my bag, then flipped off my desk light. I tiredly slipped off my shirt and slipped on my night tee. I was just about to take off my glasses when the phone rang.

"Oh fish sticks! Who is calling me at ten pm?" I cried.

'Who calls you at all?' My mind asked.

"Shut up, thoughts." I voiced, feeling pleased I was alone.

I snatched the phone off of the receiver, and clapped it to my head.

"Hello?" I growled.

"Daniel? Is that you?" A very feminine voice asked.

"Mom?" I asked, still in my dream stupor.

"What? No Baldwin, it's Marlene!" Marlene snapped.

"Great. What do YOU want?" I asked, slightly disappointed it wasn't my mother.

"Is it true you're still…pregnant?" She asked.

"I think the bump under my shirt proves that to be a 'yes'." I sighed, tapping my stomach.

"I knew you wouldn't do it. You never go through with anything!" She responded. I knew she was rolling her eyes.

" I came close to it." I grumbled.

"So if you're still pregnant, when are you due?"

"Well, I'm five weeks right now, so…four weeks, I think." I replied, counting on my fingers.

"Really?"

"Mm'hm. Hope you're ready for this kid." I muttered.

"Dan, about that. I think we need to talk; maybe face to face?"

"More talking? Can't you just show up when the kid arrives and I just hand it over to you?" I groaned.

"Daniel, we really need to have a discussion. Soon, or maybe even now." Marlene said.

"It's really late, Marlene." I muttered.

"How about dinner tomorrow then?"

"Aren't you wanting to have dinner with your fiancé?" I asked, irritated.

"He's working late tomorrow. So dinner at the Hokey Poke then?" She offered.

"Well, I don't have morning sickness anymore. I guess I could suffer through one meal with you." I said.

"I really appreciate it." She said.

"You know you're paying, right?"

"Whatever you say, Dan."

"See ya'." I said.

"Wouldn't wanna' be ya'." She finished, her line clicking off.

I hung up the phone, and exhaustedly swam back over to my bed. I gratefully sunk down under the covers and tossed my glasses onto the bedside table. My head hit the pillow and I waited tiredly for sleep to come. I felt the beginnings of rest start to hit me when I felt a strange fluttering on my stomach.

Irritated, I pulled off the covers to make sure it wasn't some sort of parasites in my sheets. I found nothing of the kind, but the fluttery feeling remained. It took me a moment to realize that the feeling was coming from inside my stomach.

"What the-?" I muttered, staring at my belly.

I cautiously pressed my hand against the side of my bump. Almost immediately, something pushed back. After a moment of sheer confusion and near panic, it finally dawned on me that it was the baby. I breathed a sigh of relief, but I was still irritated as she continued to squirm and punch.

"Great," I groaned to the fetus, "you move now. Lovely."

I collapsed back on the bed. This was going to be a long four weeks.


	12. Detour

Chapter 12: Detour

The sad thing was, the booth I was sitting in at the Hokey-Poke wasn't even remotely comfortable. The sadder thing was, it was a least ten times more uncomfortable than my desk chair in my classroom, which made me want to be at work right then. I NEVER wanted to be at work. To make things even more sadder, and I'm sorry for the prior grammar error, I was dining in a place that was too cool for me even when I was a teenager.

"Are you gonna' order somethin', or am I just gonna' keep standin' here?" Bassy asked me, in between smacks of her gum.

"Um, I'm actually still waiting for someone." I responded, continuing to eye the entrance.

"Hon', you gotta' order somethin', or you'll hafta' leave." She grumbled.

"Fine," I sighed, "I'll have a glass of water."

"Well, ain't you mister sarcasm? Really, what can I get ya'?" Bassy rolled her eyes.

"A cup of decaf." I replied, knowing I wouldn't drink it anyway.

After another irritating gum smack, Bassy swam away towards the kitchen. My eyes turned back towards the restaurant's entrance. I came face-to-face with my ex-girlfriend, and the mother brood in my stomach. She gave me an awkward grin from across the room and fixed her curly, pumpkin-orange hair. I cupped one hand over my midriff and the other over my mouth as the baby squirmed violently and my nausea spiked at the same time.

"You alright?" Marlene asked, suddenly right next to me.

"Fine. You startled me." I responded.

"Sorry. So, I guess you're really still pregnant, then." She said, scooting into the booth across from me.

"Isn't that why we're here?" I said.

"True. Have you ordered yet?"

"Coffee." I said.

"Coffee?" Bassy smacked, sliding the steaming cup in front of me.

"Thanks." I mumbled before she swam off.

"Coffee? Really, Baldwin? Don't you think you'll be up all night on that stuff?" Marlene wondered.

"It's decaf, but I'm already up at night with…stomach cramps." I lied, not wanting her to know that the baby's constant moving kept me awake.

"Did you get those checked out? Is the baby OK?" She asked worriedly.

"I'm fine and it's fine. I've been seeing a specialist."

"Really?"

"Mm'hm."

"Well aren't you mister responsible lately?" She mused.

"One of us has to be." I said.

"How's life otherwise?"

"Miserable. I'm trying to find a new job, or at least another one. And, before you ask, the search isn't going well." I explained, sipping on the watery coffee.

"I'd offer help, but I don't have a job myself." Marlene commented.

"Alright enough of the chit-chat, Marlene. Why are we here?" I asked impatiently.

Marlene sighed and rolled her eyes at my sudden topic change.

"Well, if you must know, I wanted to come here to talk about the baby." She said.

"I could have guessed that."

"I also wanted to bring up a bit about my fiancé, Barry." She added.

"Oh boy!" I said sarcastically.

"Anyway, before you get too cynical for words, I talked to him about the idea of having a baby."

"You…told him about…us?" I asked, slightly surprised.

"Oh heavens no! I'm not telling my future husband I had an affair." Marlene scoffed.

"What a shocker." I mumbled, wondering why I gave her so much credit.

"Listen, I asked Barry what he thought about adopting a child, because I can no longer reproduce." She continued.

"How'd that go?"

"Well, um, he…he said…no." She confessed.

"What?" I asked, choking a bit on my drink.

"Well, at least until after we tie the knot, but it seems he's not ready for kids quite yet." She sighed.

"But, you'll still take the kid, right?" I asked nervously, one hand still quaking over my bump.

"About that…it'd be difficult to manage that with Barry being the way that he is right now. So, I'm afraid that for right now, and well maybe permanently, the adoption is off." She said.

My heart was pounding; I couldn't tell if it was from fear or anger. If I had heard right, Marlene had just told me that she was no longer adopting the kid. I was on my own.

"Um, what? What did you just say?" I asked shakily.

"The adoption is, well, canceled." She repeated.

"Canceled? Well that's just…wonderful." I growled, rubbing my temples angrily.

"Dan, I'm sorry. Really."

"You're SORRY? Where do you think this leaves me?"

"I guess I thought you might want to raise the kid. I assumed you might have gotten attached to it."

"Attached to…are you joking? More like it's attached to me! I have no feelings for this kid; trust me!" I cried.

"But, the baby's half yours. Doesn't that at least mean something to you?"

"If it doesn't mean anything to you, why should it?"

"I thought you might've bonded with it or something." Marlene sighed.

"It is a she." I growled.

"What'd you say?" She asked, her voice calm.

"It…it's a girl. The baby's a girl." I breathed.

"A girl? I have a daughter?" Marlene continued, apparently it wasn't registering with her.

"Yes. I was sort of hoping for a boy…but oh well."

"Why?"

"Well, you know I've had a lot of females in my life. Sisters and such…I don't really want to talk about it."

My anger was slowly dissipating. I was too tired to argue.

"Maybe I should go." Marlene said, collecting her purse and coat.

"But…wait…Marley?" I said, but she was already out the door.

I hurriedly got out of the booth, threw a few fish-dollars down for my coffee, and swam off after her. I rushed out of the building and hurriedly looked around for Marlene. I found her sitting on a nearby bench, one hand pulling at her hair, the other holding a phone to her head.

"No, no. Don't worry, I'll be home soon. Yes, honey, I'm fine. I'm really OK. Love you, too." She spoke into the receiver, then clapped the phone shut. She was on the verge of tears.

I carefully sat down next to her, hoping not to upset her. I wondered why I wasn't mad at her for all she'd done to me, but my heart ached for her, and I couldn't ignore it.

"Barry?" I asked.

"Huh?" She said, wiping her eyes.

"One the phone?"

"Oh, um yeah, it was."

"Are you going to be alright?"

"I dunno', Dan." She sniffed.

The fetus squirmed as I continued to watch Marlene crying. I hated to see her so upset, and I decided to do something I swore I'd never do. I carefully reached over, took her hand, and placed it on my belly. I watched her eyes widen with amazement, and I couldn't help smiling a bit.

"Is that…is she really…?" Marlene asked, still shocked.

"I don't let just anyone do this, you know." I assured her.

"I didn't think you did." She smirked.

While it was a bit embarrassing having her feeling my stomach outside of a public place, it was nice seeing her happy again.

"Can I listen? I mean, do you mind?" She asked, leaning her head towards my middle.

"Um, no. I guess not. Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Uh'huh." She said, her head resting on my middle. I took the opportunity to stroke her hair a bit, and I wondered if she'd noticed.

"Do you, I mean do you really, love Barry?" I asked.

She sat straight up and looked at me. A bit coldly, I might add.

"Of course I do." She said stiffly.

"Why?"

"What a stupid question." She scoffed.

"Then answer it." I said calmly.

"Because…because he doesn't expect anything from me. He's so generous and kind and just asks for my love in return. He doesn't even care about my STD."

"I could give you that, too. You know that, Marlene."

"Oh Daniel it's…it's different now! We're not teenagers anymore!"

"Clearly. If I was a teenager, I'd have more hair." I said, smirking a bit.

"I'm being serious!" Marlene hissed.

"So am I! Why are you abandoning this child?" I cried.

"I'm not aban…my life is…things are complicated right now." Marlene said, trying to annunciate 20 different things at once.

" Really? I hadn't noticed!" I growled, rubbing my stomach.

"I need to leave."

She started floating towards the parking lot. Towards her car. But, I reached out and grabbed hold of her arm. She stopped and looked at me impatiently.

"What, Dan?" She snapped.

There were so many things I wanted to say to her. "You can come to the birth if you'd like." "I wish you'd be with me." "Please tell Barry about our kid." "Don't abandon your daughter." "My life is a living hell except for you." "My friends hate me."

"I love you."

None of these came out. I hadn't the courage.

"Never mind." I said, a deep sadness replacing my anger.

"Goodbye Daniel." Marlene said, pulling her hand away and swimming off.

The baby continued to move, and it began to set in that I was going to be a single father.

'Single,' I thought. 'Single, single, single…alone.'

I fought back tears that had been coming for a long time. I needed more advice.


	13. Rumors

Chapter 13: Rumors

"Well, look what the catfish dragged in." Richard smirked.

I slowly sunk down to one of the empty chairs at his table. I looked at Salmons again and scowled.

"You look like hell." He added. I couldn't tell if he was mocking me, or he was truly concerned.

"Rough night. Not to mention my appearance is the least of my worries lately." I sighed, rifling through my lunch bag.

"As is your attitude." He rolled his eyes.

"You'd be just as irritable if you were in my condition."

"I'm sure I would be, but it doesn't help that you're already an unpleasant fish to be around."

"Heaping on the complements today, aren't we?" I said, gnawing at my sandwich.

"Daniel, I think you want me to be the first person to tell you this…"

"That I'm fat, ugly, and have no friends?"

"I'm being serious."

"What is it?" I asked, setting aside my food.

"Well, there are some, how can I put this, rumors floating around the faculty." He continued.

"Like what exactly?"

"Baldwin, they know!"

"About my…" I suddenly pieced things together. My co-workers were more observant than I thought. I crossed my arms over my bump self-consciously.

"At least they think they know. They're still trying to put two-and-two together."

"What did you tell them?!" I snapped at him, feeling angered, but mostly embarrassed.

"I swear I didn't breach our trust pact! Honestly! Actually, I think they can tell by your new bodily changes. I'd invest in some maternity shirts if I were you."

"Dear Cod…."

"Oh, and Daniel?"

"What?"

"Rumor has it you slept through half of your class today. A bit energy deficient, are we?" Salmons smirked.

"So glad I'm here to amuse you." I sighed.

Wanting no more of his belittlement, I began packing up my lunch to retreat to my classroom.

'Maybe I can get another nap in before the next period.' I thought.

Before I could leave, Salmons grabbed my arm, clearly not finished with me yet.

"How can I help?" He asked.

"Let's see, more grim news?"

"What can I do to truly help you?"

"You can't do anything. It's clear I'm on my own for the rest of this process." I said.

"What happened to you last night? What do you mean by 'on your own'?"

I reluctantly sat back down, realizing I had no one else to talk to. More advice would've been a blessing, really.

"Marlene sort of dropped the adoption plan. It seems I'm stuck with this kid now." I said.

"Ouch."

"I'm definitely not looking forward to parenting this…thing."

"Maybe it'll be good for you. It's certainly a life-changing experience." Salmons said.

"Doubt it. Not to mention I only have about four weeks to prep for her arrival." I sighed.

"You never mentioned you're having a girl. How nice is that!"

"It's not. I wanted a boy."

"So you DO want this child!"

"No! I don't! I've just had a life full of girls, and it grates on my nerves."

"Girls ARE harder than boys, or so they say."

"…what am I going to do?" I groaned, resting my head in my arm.

"Have you thought of adoption? Foster homes?" Richard Salmons asked.

"No, and definitely not!" I said.

"Oh right, life with foster families. I'm curious, do you have a support system?"

"I have a healthy relationship with my mother, Anne." I said.

"Real mother?"

"I wish. Adoptive."

"I see. Anyway, I meant more like friends." He corrected himself.

"See, my friends sort of hate me right now. With reason; I sort of pissed them off royally." I chuckled.

"Is an apology needed?"

"They wouldn't forgive me."

I thought about Cora and Marc. How much I'd completely ticked both of them off far beyond any hope of a salvageable friendship.

"If they're truly your friends, they would forgive you. That's just how it works." He explained.

"Well, even if they don't forgive me, you're still my friend, right?"

"Daniel, we're really not friends. In fact, you sort of irritate me. The only reason I give you advice is to hopefully improve the wellbeing of your future child." He confessed, gesturing towards my stomach.

"Oh." I said. At least he was honest.

"My one final tip is this; spend the last month you have trying to stay awake at your job, bridging the gap between you and your friends, and giving your place a good-old-fashioned baby-proofing."

"Thanks for the advice, I suppose." I said, grimacing.

"And, two words; maternity wear. Other fish in the building are noticing your, er, 'growth'. You won't be able to keep this a secret much longer, you know." He smiled.

"I get it, I get it! Just don't tell anyone!"

"I promise. Just make sure to tell your students before they find it out for themselves."

"Oh please. They are way too self-focused to even consider stuff like that."

"I wouldn't be too sure. There was a bit of gossip going around that you had some sort of deadly tumor, and believe me, it didn't come from another teacher." Salmons finished. He then tossed his garbage and floated out of the teacher's lounge.

"Oh dear gosh…" I sighed.

I wanted to talk to my friends more than anything. However, I knew that forgiving me wasn't in their plans.

'Only one way to find out.'

I was going to eat out that night. At Cora's Café, to be exact.


	14. Apologizing

Chapter 14: Apologizing

It was around 9 PM by the time I got to Cora's workplace. The lights of Bud's Pets had already turned off, as the store was closed. Cora's Café seemed near to closing time too, as she had begun dimming the lights and had flipped the "open" sign to "closed". She sat in the back of the restaurant, going over the expenses for the day. I boldly pushed the door open and swam inside. A little bell chimed over the doorway, signaling that someone had entered.

"Hey, we're closed, alright? Just come back tomorrow…" Cora called from the counter, not looking up from her paperwork.

I ignored her request, another bold move, and sat down at her counter. I watched her work until she noticed I was still there.

"Look, buddy. I said we're-" She looked up at me, and her voice trailed off.

"Hey." I said, forcing an awkward smile.

Cora immediately slammed her notebook closed and shoved it aside.

"Get. Out." She scowled, pointing her fin in the direction of the door.

"I know you're mad, but just let me explain." I attempted.

Cora would hear none of this. In a fury, she rushed over to the door, threw it open with a little chime, and pointed to the street harshly.

"Out."

"Cora, please. I'm trying to apologize here."

"Yeah, well I don't want to hear it! Daniel Baldwin, you said things that day you just can't take back with a simple apology! And, even worse, you DID things that you can't take back in a million years!" Cora cried, seeming on the verge of tears.

"I'm just trying to say that-"

"You know, Marc is furious with you! If he were here right now, he'd probably beat the sand out of you, and I'm not exactly your biggest fan right now either!"

"Will you just LISTEN to me?!"

"No! I'm tired of listening to you whine and moan about how terrible your life is! So just leave, okay?!"

"Cora…I…" I didn't know what to say. Her words stung.

Not having a clue how to get through to her, I decided to just leave. I floated past her on my way out the door, her steely gaze following me. Before I left, I took a deep breath and turned to face her.

"I. Am. Sorry. I need you to hear these words even if you don't believe them."

I continued floating out the door before Cora's voice stopped me.

"You know what, Dan? Marc and I were so willing to help you with any decision you wanted to make, even if you didn't want to go through with it. But, we were just so appalled by the reason you didn't want to do it! I mean, you were just going that path to spite Marlene! And I'm not fond of the capital-B-witch either, but that was simply cruel!" She said.

It took me a long moment to put two-and-two together, but I finally understood why Cora wouldn't forgive me.

"Are you talking about the abortion?" I almost laughed.

"What else would I be talking about?" She said, brushing away a few tears.

"Cora, I didn't…well, here…"

I tried to suppress a bit of a smile as I took hold of her fin and placed it over my stomach.

"What the-"

"Just wait." I told her.

'OK, kid. You've got the green light here. Go ahead and punch your little heart out.'

I waited. Cora waited. The baby refused to budge.

I sighed in annoyance; she would surely move much more later on when I would try to sleep.

"Dan, I have no idea what you're doing, but I need to go home!" Cora said, and wrenched her fin back.

She was halfway out the door when the truth just spilled out of me.

"Cora, I didn't have the abortion."

I closed my eyes and waited for the backlash.

"You're lying," she said, "you've just gained some weight."

"Lying? Why would I lie about something like this?!"

"I don't know, but there's no way I can trust you after that stunt you pulled with me and Marc!"

"You have to believe me!"

"Give me a good reason why I 'have to'." Cora requested.

"Because…because…"

I searched my brain for the answer, but it was right in front of me. I just needed to be honest with Cora. With myself.

"I'm desperate." I sighed.

"What?" She scoffed.

"I'm alone. Long story short, Marlene is no longer a part of this process, and I guess I'm going to have to raise this kid…somehow. You and Marc hate me, and my family doesn't know about my current condition. I'm due in less than four weeks, and I am not ready. I need help."

"Why me?" Cora asked.

'I thought you'd have more compassion.' I thought, but it was definitely the wrong answer.

"You're one of my only friends."

"Daniel…"

"Please, Cora."

Cora groaned, putting her fins against her temples.

"Fine." She sighed, pulling me out of my begging position.

Cora swam behind the counter and turned something on. She then gestured to one of the chairs directly in front of her. I sat down across from her as she began pouring something into a cup.

"Tea?" She offered.

"Oh, I don't really like-"

"Drink the tea, Baldwin." Cora scowled.

Not wishing to anger her any more than I already had, I hastily began sucking down the drink.

"You hate it, don't you?" She asked, grinning.

"Yes." I said, cringing.

"Good. I spit in it."

"Oh COD!" I cried, shoving the cup away from me.

"We're even." Cora said.

"Thank you…I think."

"So," she said, cleaning the counter free of spilt tea, "why aren't you telling your family?"

"It's complicated. Let's leave it at that."

"How complicated?"

"I'm surrounded by females." I said.

"Most men would like that opportunity."

"Not when they're all my sisters."

"Well, sisters aren't that-"

"Eight of them. EIGHT! No brothers!"

"Now THAT sounds fun!" Cora mocked me.

"Even more joyous than it sounds, trust me!"

"Do they all hate you?"

"Not really. It's more like they all love to pick on me. I'm the baby of the group."

I drummed my fingers on the table and tried to keep my eyes open. I was exhausted.

"Then, can I come with you?"

"What? Where?"

"To your mom's house. You know, when you tell them!"

"I'm telling my family about this baby!" I said, putting my hands against my bump.

"But, Baldy, what if they just show up at your house one day and see a kid playing on the sofa? They're going to be a tad curious, don't you think?"

"Two problems with your theory; one, I live in an apartment, and two, no-one in my family has visited me in years!"

"Oh whatever! They're still your family!"

She was right, in a way. They were my family. At least, in the adoptive kind of way. I knew both my mom and my dad would be supportive, but my sisters would judge me like hell. They'd tell me I wasn't fit to raise a kid, and they were right.

"But, you're going to tell them, right?" Cora asked.

"I suppose I have to. For the baby's sake at least. She needs grandparents."

"Wait, you're having a girl? You didn't mention that."

"Like I said, I'm surrounded by females. The universe is trying to tell me something."

"Have a sex change operation?" Cora laughed.

"Dear Cod, I hope not!" I shuddered.

"Kidding, kidding."

"Now that I think about it, my mom's birthday is next week, so maybe I can tell the family then."

"Sounds like a good idea. I could come with you, if you'd like."

"No thanks, but could you perchance help me with one other thing?"

"Birthing class partner?"

"Um, no. Not really. I was actually wondering if you could help me get some…supplies for the baby. To get ready for her arrival."

"You mean like decorating the nursery?! Oh heck yes, I'll do it!"

"Well, I don't exactly have another room in my apartment, I guess I'll have to make do with the space I have."

"Oh, Daniel, I can see it now! A nice little corner in your bedroom with a crib, a changing table, maybe even a chest of drawers…"

I let Cora ramble on about her nursery fantasies, and I just smiled and nodded, completely tuning her out.

"…and of course, before the big day gets here, I'll plan you a nice, big baby shower!"

"NO!" I cried out.

"Huh?"

"No baby shower, alright? Just…no."

"You know, it's not a crime to get excited about this. Baby's are awesome! You should be at least a little happy!" Cora scowled.

"Baby's are awesome for those who have a good enough income to raise one!" I said.

"Get a second job! I heard Fish-Flakes is hiring." She suggested.

"Really?"

"Mm'hm."

"Not a bad idea. I'd have to figure everything out, and it'd be a complex system."

"Well, you know, I'm here to help." Cora reminded me.

"Thank you. I mean it."

"Speaking of help, do you need a ride home?"

"Um, I wouldn't mind. You got a car?"

"No, silly, a ride on my motorcycle. I have a spare helmet."

"Oh gosh. Just the thought of it makes me nauseous!" I cringed.

"I'll drive slow, grandpa!"

"I'm not a lot older than you."

"Sure, sure." She waved her fin.

"Alright. I accept your kind offer."

"That's more like it. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Marc and I are dating."

"Really? That's wonderful. When did this happen?"

"Shortly after we fought with you. He is still so pissed with you."

"Why am I not surprised? Marc was always so good with holding grudges."

Cora handed me her "guest helmet" and escorted me to her vehicle. More like a death-trap with wheels. I had never wanted to ride her motorcycle. Ever. But, it truly was nice to be back in her good-graces. Now I had to speak to Marc, and although he was physically closer to me, he would be a lot harder to apologize to. I only had 4 weeks left. 1 confession down, 11 to go. Including my entire family.


	15. Family

Chapter 15: Family

"So, are you going in or what?"

I gripped the phone close to my head. Cora waited with baited breath on the other line. I stared up at my parents' house, which seemed to stare back at me. I opened the door a hair, then slammed it shut again.

"I heard the door shut. Are you going in now?"

"I can't. Maybe I'll just tell them over a phone call." I sighed.

"Oh COME ON! They're your family! They're totally going to be supportive!"

"Correction, my PARENTS will be supportive. My sisters, on the other hand, will just shame me."

"Then who needs 'em?! As long as you have your mom and dad, you'll be OK!"

"And who was the one saying family is important?"

"It is, but you hate your sisters anyway. Am I right?" She asked.

"I don't hate them, but they are kind of…abrasive." I said.

"Look, you can handle them! You have before."

"This is different. They all have kids; they're going to mock me." I said.

"Just hold your own. I know you can." Cora assured me.

I looked at the house one more time, and took a deep breath.

"OK. I'm going." I told her.

"Great! Call me when it's over!" Cora said, then hung up.

I flipped my phone shut and stuffed it into my shirt pocket. I picked up Mom's birthday present, which was in card-form, and straightened my tie in the rearview mirror. I wasn't wearing my usual yellow shirt with my favorite bowtie, but instead was wearing a formal white shirt, a "nice" dinner jacket, and a blue striped tie. The change made me feel even more uncomfortable.

I reluctantly pushed the door open, and slowly pulled myself out of the car. At nearly 6 weeks pregnant, it wasn't easy getting into a vertical position independently. I had also noticed I was floating at a slight angle, the weight of my bump altering my center of gravity, and it would only get worse with the passing weeks.

'Just get this over with, Daniel, you can do it. Mom will be so happy you stopped by.' I thought to myself, calming my nerves.

I swam up to the front porch, adjusted myself one last time, and gave the door a hard rapping. While I waited for an answer, I looked down at my stomach. It was painfully obvious in the outfit I was wearing that I had more than a bit of added girth.

'They're going to figure it out before I even say anything.' I worried, sweating a bit.

Before I could even consider bailing on the party, the front door swung wide open. A grey-haired female seahorse stared out the doorway.

"Daniel? Oh you're here! How wonderful!" She said, flinging her arms around my neck.

"Hey Mom. Happy birthday." I said, hugging her back.

"Oh this is great! The whole Baldwin clan is here! Come in, come in!" Mom said, pulling me inside.

"Everyone's here?" I asked nervously.

She pulled me into the dimly lit hallway. It smelled exactly the same way from when I was a fry. A musky scent with a hint of dirty laundry. Home sweet home.

"You bet! Every last kiddo! Now, let me get a good look at my boy!" Mom smiled.

Before I could say anything, Mom had pulled off my jacket and was looking at me from head to tail. Her eyes stopped at my stomach, and grew wider the longer she stared. She knew.

"Oh…um…" She stammered, at a loss for words.

I waited for a comment, a concern, anything.

"Well, you look wonderful." She said, and that was that. Leave it to Mom to have nothing but compliments for everybody.

"Thanks, Mom." I replied, squeezing her hand.

"Oh, come with me to the living room! The whole family's cooped up in there." Mom said, pulling me down the hall.

"Must be crowded."

"Just like it used to be." Mom grinned.

"Sounds great." I said, a scoop of sarcasm in that comment.

We entered the living room to a familiar crowd of fish. My entire foster family was there. Every one of my 8 sisters. Alan, my dad, sat in his favorite chair, seeming a bit distant mentally, but he gave me a warm smile when he saw me. The look unnerved me, though, as if he was looking right through me.

Sherri and Terri, two identical twin squids, that I still couldn't tell who was who, rested comfortably on the sofa, and beamed upon my entrance.

"DANNY!" They squealed in unison. They proceeded to leap up and nearly tackle me with a hug.

"Hi…" I gasped, almost choked by their sibling love.

"We missed you-" Terri said.

"-so much!" Finished Sherri.

Oh yes. They finish each-other's sentences. It was kind of awkward now that they were in their late 40's.

"Missed you so-"

"-much. So has-"

"-Wendy, right-"

"-Wendy?"

Wendy, a manic-depressed jellyfish, floated by the wall in silence. She looked up at me, and gave me a small, almost invisible, smile. She seemed heavily drugged.

"She WAS excited to see you." Terri sighed.

"She told us earlier." Sherri said.

"Before her medication."

I nodded, pretending to care. I slowly took a seat on the couch, trying not to let on it was a struggle just to sit down.

"How's life, Dan?" Another voice asked.

It belonged to yet another sister of mine. This time it was June, a slightly off-kilter goldfish who never really felt comfortable calling herself a Baldwin. While my other sisters and I wondered a little about who our real parents were, June obsessed over it. When we were teenagers, she was the "problem child", which is saying a lot for a house of foster kids.

"I'm doing…alright." I lied slightly.

"Really?" She asked, squinting her eyes.

"Really, June."

She scowled at me, and looked away. June didn't like me, or any of the Baldwin clan. Never did, never will.

"You've gained a bit of weight, Danny." Gerty noticed.

I wanted to cringe, but managed to keep my composure. Gerty, short for Gertrude, tended to be a bit blunt. She had always grown up saying "I don't know when I'll be in a completely different house, so I'm going to be as honest as possible!", which just pissed everyone off. Gerty was a starfish that had been in an abusive home, and had lost one of her five limbs, which had never grown back. She never liked talking about it.

"Yeah, what's up with the bump?" Olivia asked. She had always been a bit of a nosy octopus.

"It's really none of your concern." I said.

"And why's that?" June sneered.

"It's personal!" I said through my teeth.

"Dan, be honest, would you like to borrow my gym membership?" Caroline smirked. Caroline was an angelfish, and despite her species, was without a doubt the jock of the family. Not a surprise that all of the sports trophies in the living room were hers. She put the rest of us to shame.

My other sisters giggled like teenagers at her comment, and my face burned with embarrassment. They'd laugh even more when the truth came out.

"Everyone, let's be nice. It's my birthday and I wanted all my kids here and not saying snide remarks at each other!" Mom stepped in.

"Who's saying what?" Linda asked, my eighth and final foster sister, and my favorite. I felt guilty that I hadn't noticed she wasn't in the room.

Linda was the only offspring in the house genetically related to Mom, and she was the oldest of all. Although she probably picked on me the most, she only did it because she cared. She was the only sibling I still maintained a strong relationship with.

"Hey, Lin." I said, smiling for the first time since I entered the living room.

"Danny-Boy, I didn't know you'd be here too. You look…different." She said. Even Lin couldn't help but saying something.

"He's gotten fat." Gerty interjected.

"I can see that, Gerty." Linda scowled. I reddened even more.

"So, Dan, how's your weight-loss program?" June smirked.

"June, how's your dying marriage going?" I snapped.

June muttered something like "Bastard" under her breath, and glared at me.

"OK! That's enough! Let's get dinner underway before you two start killing each other." Mom jumped between us.

"Yeah, that's so-" Terri started.

"-immature, guys!" Sherri finished.

My evening was already going oh-so swimmingly. It could only go downhill from then on. I waited until everyone left the living room, and then began my own struggle to get off the couch. I spent an entire minute without any progress.

"Need any help there, Danny-Boy?" A voice offered, and a hand was outstretched.

I looked up to see Linda, smirking at my predicament, but apparently wanting to help.

"I got this." I assured her.

"Sure you do…" She rolled her eyes, then yanked me off the sofa.

"Ow!" I cried. The sudden upright position felt like a knife to my back.

"Sorry. Little fast, huh?"

"Ya' think?" I groaned.

Without warning, Lin pulled me in for a hug, and unexpected and pleasant gesture.

"Daniel," she whispered to me, "I know what's going on."

"You do?" I asked in surprise. First Mom, now Lin. This dinner was going to be a joy-ride.

"Of course! You're showing all the signs; moodiness, lashing out…weight gain."

"Is it THAT obvious?" I wondered.

"Yeah, but I understand. I mean, my husband is going through the same thing."

"W-W-What?" I gasped. I didn't know Linda was having kids.

"I mean, don't get upset, but I'm kinda having the same sort of issue."

I didn't know what to say. I had no clue her husband was pregnant, let alone that female seahorses could also conceive. Frankly, I didn't know anything anymore.

"Don't look so shocked, Daniel," Linda continued, "a woman can have a midlife-crisis, too."

My train of thought screeched to a halt, then immediately proceeded to backtrack.

"Wait, did you just say…midlife-crisis?" I asked, a bit relieved.

"Everyone goes through it at some point, Dan. A period of feeling uninspired, kinda lazy, a bit lost in your job, and generally thinking you've wasted your entire life for naught. It happens."

"Sis, I think you're a little off on your assumption…" I said.

"So, no midlife-crisis?"

"Oh, it's a crisis alright." I chuckled stressfully.

"Dan, can we stop with the guessing game? Just tell me what's wrong." Linda groaned.

"You're right, you're right. I'm sorry. Look, Lin," I said, grasping her shoulders, "sis…I'm pre-"

"Daniel! Linda! Are you coming or what? Dinner is on the table!" Caroline called from the dining room.

I sighed and dropped my hands from Lin's arms.

'Opportunity has left the building.' I thought.

"It's OK, Dan. Just tell me after dinner, alright?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "alright."

After only 20 minutes into the meal, I had begun to remember why I didn't visit my family more often. When my sisters weren't commenting on how everyone else's failure of a life could be improved, they were prattling off stories about their own, misery-filled ones. My only relief was whispering snide remarks to Linda, who sat right next to me, and was at least twice as bored as me.

"Seriously," Lin said, "is there ANYONE in this house that has one happy story?"

"Aside from finding an extra five fish-dollars in the laundry the other day, I don't have much to add myself." I said.

'Well,' I thought, 'excluding the obvious.'

I cursed myself for wasting the wide-open opportunity to share my news. The moment was gone, and I had to continue to scope out a new one.

"Is everyone done with dinner, then?" Mom said suddenly, starting to pick up her plate.

"Oh, Mom, why don't you let me get that. It's your birthday; relax." I offered, taking her dish.

"Yeah. Dan and I can clean up. How about I bring in dessert, too?" Linda said.

"That sounds wonderful! I've had to try all day to keep my hands off that cake." Mom chuckled, handing us more plates.

Linda gave the evil eye to our siblings in an attempt to get extra help, but they seemed less than interested. And Dad just seemed dazed. Or drugged. Or both.

"Hey, um, what's up with Dad?" I asked Lin, setting some plates in the sink.

"Didn't Mom tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Dad's…sick." Linda said.

"Like 'dying' sick?!" I gasped.

"No. Well, maybe…sort of." Linda shrugged quite uncomfortably.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" I snapped.

"You're never around! And, Mom didn't want to worry you. You know how she is; I pretty much had to squeeze the truth out of her." Lin explained.

"Damn it, Lin. Well, what does he have?"

"Dementia. I don't even think he knows who we are anymore."

"Really? Wow…"

"Look, Mom doesn't like talking about it, so don't say anything! Here, help me with this cake…"

"Did you make it?" I smiled.

"No. Mom did."

"Mom made her OWN CAKE?! That's insane!" I cried, irritated by the fact that she had no help.

"Well, she's persistent! She wanted to make it!" Linda said.

"But it's her BIRTHDAY! At the very least it should've been store-bought!"

"Just don't talk about it! This is the least stressed I've seen her in a long time. Get the plates, will you?" Linda said, slowly picking up the cake.

"Fine. I won't bring it up." I agreed, grabbing the stack of dishes.

Linda was about to swim back into the dining room when I decided to stop her.

"Lin, listen, I can't stand this much longer. I need to tell you something. Now."

"Daniel, can't it wait? This cake is heavy…"

"I'll make it quick. I just wanted you to know before I blurt it out to the whole family."

"OK, shoot." Lin sighed.

I re-balanced the cumbersome plates in my arms, and tried to find a nice way of wording my next comment. Nothing came to mind, so I decided to just say it. All of it, actually.

"Linda, I'm pregnant. I'm having one baby, don't ask, it's a girl, the mother is Marlene, we're not getting married, and I'm due in three weeks." I practically vomited out, trying to answer every question I thought was coming.

"Woah, woah, woah…woah! Danny, could you maybe back up to that first comment? The thing that came after you said my name?"

"I'm pregnant." I said.

"That's the one…"

Linda's arms shook for a moment or two, the cake teetered, and then splatted to the floor.

"Linda! What'd you do that for?!" I said, setting the plates aside and trying to see if the cake was salvageable.

"Oh gosh! I'm sorry…I-I just sort of blacked out for a second. Um, did you perchance say Marlene's the mother?"

"You caught that bit?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Well, yeah, she is." I said, continuing to examine the mess.

"How did that-"

"Don't ask. Just don't."

"Fine. Oh, how's the cake?"

"Floored."

"Hardy har. How is it really?"

"Plate's shattered, so the cake's full of glass."

"I heard something break. Is everything alright?" Mom asked, bursting through the door.

"The cake, um, broke." Lin said.

"The PLATE broke, and the cake is ruined." I corrected her.

"At least no one was hurt." Mom said, not seeming as upset as I'd thought she'd be.

"Hey, what happened?" Caroline asked, joining Mom in the doorway. My seven other sisters quickly followed suit, all gaping through the doorway at the mess.

Linda gave me a look, and shrugged her shoulders.

'Now or never.' I thought to myself.

"Mom, siblings, Dad if you can hear me too…I'm pregnant." I sighed, feeling relieved to get it out of my system.

The entire room took a pregnant pause, no pun intended, and then Gerty broke the silence.

"So, you dropped the cake because you're pregnant?"

"I heard one of the side effects is clumsiness." June added, smirking.

"Nah, Dan just has butter-fingers." Olivia said.

"Well, that explains the weight gain."

"He's still fat."

I couldn't believe it. They were completely unfazed by my announcement, and were hell-bent on continuing to mock me anyway. Why was I not surprised?

"Well, I can see I've made a mess of this party. I think I'll just leave now." I said, heading for the door.

"Daniel…" Mom said, stopping me.

"Oh Mom, um, here's your card. It's really not much because, well, I'm on the verge of being broke." I said, taking a folded up card out of my shirt pocket.

"It doesn't matter. Just wait a second…" She continued.

"Mom, it's OK. I'm just going to leave."

"But-"

"Have a nice birthday, Mom. Really." I said, then swam out the door and slammed it behind me.

I heaved a huge sigh of relief having finally left the house. I slowly sat down on the porch step and yanked out my phone.

"Cora? You there?" I said.

"I'm here, I'm here! How'd it go, Baldy?" She asked.

"It was a disaster." I breathed, burying my head in my arms.


	16. Gift

Chapter 16: Gift

I hastily turned off the hot water faucet on the tub upon realization that the water was close to flooding level. I'd returned home from Mom's party approximately 20 minutes earlier and had immediately decided on a warm bath. I had since then removed my uncomfortably suffocating clothes and donned my soft, inviting robe. I was mere seconds away from relaxing in the warm bath when there was a knock at my door. I groaned, tightly tying the robe's belt around my unyielding bump. I had no more energy for socializing.

"I'm coming. Dear Cod…"

I opened the door without removing the chain and peered through the crack. I immediately recognized the knocker, to which I slammed the door shut again, removed the chain, then threw it open in full.

"Mom?!" I cried, wondering what she was doing in my apartment building.

"Hello…again." She said.

"When…how…why…you're here." I managed.

"Indeed I am. May I come in?" Mom asked.

"Uh, yeah. Of course. But, I'm not exactly guest –ready." I said, watching her looking around my pint-sized living quarters.

I shut the door behind her as she made herself comfortable on my sofa.

"I'm not sure if I've ever visited here before." Mom said.

"I admit I've been…distant." I sighed, making a spot for myself next to her.

The conversation died momentarily. I sat staring into space, stroking my bump absentmindedly.

"Why are you here? You should be celebrating." I asked, not meaning to sound rude.

"I wanted to see you. You seemed quite upset when you left, and I felt partially responsible."

"How? You didn't do anything."

"I knew you were pregnant the minute you arrived. I should've said something, but I figured it was your news to announce. I didn't know it would be such a…sad topic." Mom explained.

"What's done is done." I said.

"Thank you for the card, by the way. Such a sweet gesture."

"Well, I thought if I couldn't tell you out loud, I could write it in your card." I shrugged.

"You'll make a great father. And girls are so much sweeter than boys."

"Doesn't keep me from wanting a son." I chuckled.

"When are you due?" Mom asked, the ever pressing question.

"A little over three weeks." I replied, the answer making me sick. I really didn't have much time left at all.

"You look nervous about it."

"I'm not exactly the living definition of excited."

"Well, all new parents have a little anxiety about-"

"I'm not anxious, Mom. I'm terrified! I don't know ANYTHING about infants, let alone how to raise one." I snapped, cutting her sentence short.

"You'll learn, Danny. Experience will help, believe me." Mom continued.

"It just came out of nowhere," I kept rambling. "It probably wouldn't have even mad much of a difference if she'd been abandoned at my front door."

Mom flinched a little bit at my last comment, and I knew I'd gone too far.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" I changed my tone.

"I know, Daniel. It's just hard sometimes." Mom said softly.

"Mom, you KNOW I love Linda. I would never…"

"Daniel, it's OK. Really." She said, rubbing my shoulder.

As an infant, my sister had been left on Mom's front stoop by her unknown father. Through DNA testing, Mom discovered Linda was her biological daughter. Mom had had so many suitors back then, that there was no telling who Lin's real father was. It was a hard topic for both of them, and it was mostly avoided.

"That reminds me," Mom said suddenly. "I brought you something."

"Mom, it's your birthday! You don't give OTHER people gifts on your birthday." I rolled my eyes.

"It seemed important, and I thought you'd need it." Mom said, swimming towards the door.

"Um, where are you going?"

"I left it outside. Give me a second."

After a moment in the hall, Mom came back in, dragging something along with her. It was much bigger than I expected, and it caught me off-guard. I could only guess what my mother had just dragged into my apartment. Whatever it was, it was covered by a very old, worn blanket.

"Ta-da!" Mom said, and yanked the dusty sheet off.

It was a cradle. It was made of a beautiful dark, polished wood with a soft pink interior. Despite being on the small side and having a little wear and tear, it was perfect.

"Mom…I-I don't know what to say."

"It is a bit old. I mean I did use it with Lin and it's been sitting in the attic for years, but I hoped you wouldn't mind. And, maybe you could find some other furniture to match."

"No, not at all. It's great." I said, truly meaning it.

"It's got some sheets to go with it. Pink, of course. Also there's this little mobile I made for it. I was a bit of an artist back then." Mom chuckled, holding up possibly the scariest object I'd seen to date.

"Well," I said. "Now I understand why Linda has that irrational fear of gnomes."

"That would be my fault." Mom said.

I examined the cradle from top to bottom. It was pretty small, leaning on the side of cramped, but it would probably work for at least the baby's first year. And, yes, I'll admit that for the first time in the pregnancy thus far, I felt a little excited. If only the excitement weren't piled under thick layers of anxiety and feeling ill-equipped.

"Um, Mom?" I said.

"Mm'hm?"

"Why does the crib come with a price tag?" I wondered.

"Oh, sorry about that! I forgot to remove it. I was trying to sell it a long time ago at a yard sale, but no one bought it. Kinda' like fate, huh?"

"The twisted kind if you ask me." I muttered.

Mom looked at me concernedly. I knew she was trying to show me that having a baby was a good thing, but I still couldn't see it that way.

"What happened to you today, Daniel?" She asked.

Mom could read me like a book; always could. When I was lying, when I was hiding sadness, or even built up anger. It was probably a mom thing.

"You saw it. The whole party thing." I said, rubbing my neck and feeling tired.

"No, it's something else. What happened really?"

I had nearly forgotten my little "incident" today at work. Unfortunately, the recent memory wasn't buried deep enough, and it resurfaced.

"My class found out about my, er, 'condition' today. I got insanely frustrated with one of my students and, in an effort to prove a point, blurted it out." I explained.

"How did that go over?"

"Not so great. I mean, I was going to tell them eventually, or they'd figure it out themselves, but I never intended to do it so…suddenly. Needless to say, the whole school probably knows by now, not to mention the internet. So much for keeping this thing a secret."

"This 'thing' is a baby, and you're right in thinking they'd figure it out on their own. But, why is that bad?"

"Because, they're going to start being all happy for me and treating me different because I'm 'expecting'." I said, using air quotes for emphasis.

"Daniel, you do realize it's OK to get at least a tad excited for this baby, right?" Mom raised an eyebrow.

"I'm too nervous to be excited, Mom." I sighed, glancing down at my bump.

"Well, you can take comfort in knowing that I have every bit of faith in you as a parent." She said, giving me a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks, Mom. I mean it." I said.

"Just be sure to let me get some quality time with my grandkid!" She winked.

"You'll get plenty of time with her. I promise."

"I'm going to make like a baby and head out. I'll let you get back to your bath." She said, swimming towards the door.

"Don't you want to ask about Marlene?" I inquired.

"The mother?" She asked.

"Yeah, that's her."

"It's none of my business, Daniel. You're a grown fish; you can handle your own relationship issues. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Actually, yes."

"Good. Goodnight, Danny."

"Night, Mom. Thanks again for the visit. Oh, and happy birthday…again." I said as she floated out the door.

I was alone again. I returned to the couch and proceeded to stare at my new piece of furniture for what seemed like an hour. It filled me with feelings of both joy and mortal terror. I decided it would be best, to avoid being sick to my stomach with emotion, to go back to my business before Mom's visit.

I warmed up the tub for a second time, added some calming scented oils, and slid into the tub. The warmth soothed my aching tail and it made my day just a little bit better. I slipped off my glasses and let them fall to the floor. It wasn't like I could see with them on, anyway. There was too much steam.

The baby must have been enjoying the bath, because she suddenly delivered a swift punch to the walls of her confines. Also known as, my brood pouch.

"Ack! Well THAT was violent!" I snapped at the fry.

I was actually a bit shocked by how strong the motion was. It used to be just a butterfly-like feeling, but this was a real punch. I could've sworn I even SAW it happen.

"You are definitely getting bigger, aren't you?" I said, resting my hands on my stomach.

The baby rolled in response, a feeling so bizarre it can only be described the lurch in your stomach you get from going on a rollercoaster. It was very, very uncomfortable. Not even my bath made me feel better after that nausea-inducing move.

"Are you going to keep me up tonight with this stuff?" I wondered, wishing she would settle down.

I decided to just forgo the bath and go straight to bed. I pulled my robe back on and drained the tub. I began brushing my teeth in the mirror, when I looked down at my bump and realized something horrifying.

"Oh dear COD," I cried, spitting toothpaste on my pink robe. "I can't see my TAIL anymore!"

Needless to say, she kept me up all night long, punching me cruelly.

Oh the joys of pregnancy.


	17. Confessions

Chapter 17: Confessions

"Oh Cod…" I said, upon noticing half of my clothes had been shrunk in the washing process.

I began to slowly fold the first piece of laundry, not thinking about how much of a pain it'd be to replace my now kid-sized shirts.

'This just MAKES my day.' I thought, close to tearing the shirt in my hands in half.

I folded it instead, and then attempted to lay it in the basket. My bump stopped me. I couldn't bend down anymore. I growled in frustration, tossing the shirt back on the pile. I was completely drained of any slight amount of energy. Sleep was a rare commodity for me lately; being plagued by bizarre dreams and constant fetal movement made it impossible. If I hadn't been irritable before, I sure was now.

I breathed slowly, trying to calm my nerves. I tossed the rest of my clean, soon to be wrinkled, clothes into my laundry basket.

'I'll fold them later.' I thought.

I shoved the basket aside and made my first attempt to get out of the chair. The fact that it had no armrests made it all the more difficult to get upright. Having nothing to grab onto, I tried pushing against the back of the seat, but to no avail.

"You're a pain…" I muttered to my stomach.

"Daniel?" Someone responded, to my surprised.

I looked up to see Marc floating in the doorway, holding a very full-looking laundry basket.

"Oh…hi." I said, caught off guard. I hadn't spoken to Marc in weeks.

"You doing OK?" He asked.

"Decent…not exactly right now, though."

"Well, why not?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a bit, shall we say, stuck." I sighed.

"Ooh, I see. Um, one sec…"

He came over to me and pulled me back on my tail again.

"Better?" Marc said.

"I think…" I said, rubbing my back. Everything ached at that point in my gestation.

"Heading back upstairs?" He continued.

"I don't have anything better to do." I said, somehow hoisting my laundry basket into my arms.

"Need some assistance with that?" He offered, much to my surprise. I had assumed he was still holding a grudge with me.

"If I have to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't hate it." I said, chuckling weakly. The apartment building didn't have an elevator, and the thought of hauling the heavy basket up a few flights of stairs seemed rather daunting.

"Let me throw my whites in the washer, and I'd be happy to help." Marc said.

As I watched him dump his clothing into one of the few washing machines, I wondered if Marc truly wasn't mad at me. It seemed rather weird. I kept my thoughts to myself, and Marc didn't say another word to me until we were halfway up the stairwell.

"So, two weeks, huh?" Marc asked.

"What?" I asked, coming out of my thoughts.

"Two weeks left?" He said, gesturing to my belly.

"Mm'hm." I said, assuming Cora was keeping him updated. It felt like my pregnancy was the only topic of conversation lately.

"Are you coping well?"

"It's sort of a daily struggle." I confessed.

"I'm sorry about that." He said.

"It's not exactly your problem." I said, sounding a little harsher than I'd meant.

"I want to help you. You shouldn't face something this life-altering alone."

"Your right, Marc, I shouldn't. But, the fact is that I am alone! Marlene doesn't want any part of this process, my family is laughing behind my back, and my best friend, that's YOU by the way, has deserted me!" I snapped, temper gone.

Marc looked at me, seeming a bit hurt, but said nothing. Realizing I wanted to make amends with him instead of making our grudge worse, I decided to take it back.

"Hang on, I didn't mean-"

"Of course you did. Why wouldn't you? I haven't exactly been the most active person in your life lately."

"Marc, it's my fault. I was a bit of a jerk."

"You were, Dan, trust me. But, I shouldn't have been a jerk back. It only made things worse." He sighed.

"Well, we can agree neither of us was a complete saint." I said, smirking.

Marc paused, stalling his next words.

"What?" I asked concernedly, after a minute of waiting.

"Dan, I need to confess something to you." He said.

I swallowed, fearing the worst.

"Oh no. Please Cod tell me you're not…" I said frantically.

"Huh?" Marc asked.

"Not both of us. Not now!"

"Aw jeez', no Dan! I'm not pregnant! Don't jump to conclusions like that!" He said, scowling.

"Then don't scare me by being so serious when you need to tell me something!" I said.

"It's not that…I'm not…I'll tell you upstairs." He groaned.

We swam up the rest of the stairs in silence. I wracked my brain to think what the news could possibly be. I hoped it wasn't anything major, like an engagement or something big like that. He wasn't on that level with Cora yet, was he? We got all the way to my door without conversation, but needless to say the suspense was killing me.

"Thanks for getting my laundry for me. I'm not exactly as energetic as I used to be." I said.

"You used to be energetic?" Marc chuckled.

"Hardy har." I grumbled, flipping through my key ring.

I entered my apartment, Marc trailing behind me. I rested tiredly on my couch and began to absentmindedly fold the laundry sitting next to me.

"Well, you've been busy." Marc commented, looking at my new collection of baby furniture.

"Yes, you could say that." I chuckled.

"Dan, not to be rude, but you look really tired." He said.

"It's because I AM!" I said, rubbing my eyes for emphasis.

"Sleep might be good for that."

"You honestly think it comes easily for me? Between the nightmares and the baby punching me all night long, I'm getting about two hours of sleep max."

"Ouch. Wait, nightmares? What did you mean by that?" Marc asked.

"Oh, for example, last night I dreamed I was having quads. All girls." I said, almost shuddering at the thought.

"Four kids? How could you, I mean, how did you know?" Marc asked, bewildered.

"A STUDENT told me. It was really disturbing. Fortunately for my sanity, I woke up pretty quickly afterwards."

"Now THAT'S creepy. Which student? That little blue guy you're always ranting about?"

"No, not him. Thank Cod. It was someone else. I swear I'll never see that kid the same way again." I chuckled nervously.

"I don't blame you."

"So," I said, trying to avoid more conversation about my dreams, "what was that thing you wanted to tell me?"

"Oh yeah…there's sort of this thing I need to give you first." Marc said, slowly and nervously.

Before I could respond, Marc dashed out the door and across the hall. And, before I could even question what he was retrieving for me, he returned.

"Here," he said, shoving an object into my grasp, "take it."

"Um, thank you." I said.

I examined the thing he'd just given me, which happened to be a book.

"Dr. Phishups guide to…child rearing?" I read aloud, cocking my eyebrow.

"A'yep." He said.

"Well, thank you. Really. But, what does this have to do with your oh-so-special secret?"

"OK, I've never really told you this, but the thing is…I've always wanted to be a dad."

"…what?" I said, unable to hide my confusion.

"From as long as I can remember, I've wanted kids. I guess it just never happened."

"Why has this never come up in any of our conversations?! I've known you since COLLEGE!"

"I don't know. I've just…never had a reason to tell you."

Suddenly, I thought of something I hadn't before. A thought that filled me with guilt.

"So, you weren't just mad at me because of the abortion, you were…jealous of me?" I guessed.

"Bingo." He chuckled uncomfortably.

"Why? Other than the kid, my life…my life is-"

"Your life isn't that bad. You have it pretty good compared to me."

"Oh really?"

"Dan, my entire family is dead. They went on vacation outside of the tanks, and then they suffocated when their watersuits malfunctioned. The only reason I'm still alive is because I was too young to fit into a suit, so I was left at home under the care of my grandparents. I made it to college, but I was too poor to go to medical school. So, I never became the pediatrician I dreamed of being! Therefore, I'm stuck in a dead-end job, living in a cruddy apartment complex, and you have the GALL to tell me your life is worse than mine?!" Marc ranted, nearly shouting.

"I guess not…" I sighed, even though I was thinking our situations weren't that different. With the exception of me having a child I didn't want, and Marc never having kids at all.

Marc's angry expression softened to one of remorse.

"Oh Dan, I didn't mean to…we're supposed to be making amends, not making things worse. I really am a jerk." He sighed.

"Marc, you're not a jerk. You said what you need to, and maybe I needed to hear it. I think sometimes I need a dose of reality to remind me I don't have it all that bad." I assured him.

"But, Baldy, I shouldn't have stood in your way when you wanted to have the abortion. I might have been jealous and opposed to it, but I'm your best friend! I should've supported you no matter what! How can you forgive me for that?" Marc asked.

"Well, when you think about it, the second most important quality in a best friend is calling the other best friend on their shit. And, you did that with me. Maybe terminating the pregnancy could have been my best option, but I shouldn't have rushed into it without thought. Nor should I have built my reasoning for it on my spite for Marlene." I explained.

"Well, when you put it like that, I'm a fricking angel!" Marc laughed.

"Hey, all I have to say is that you put up with my antics. That's argument enough to why you deserve a child!" I smiled.

"That's a really, really good point!"

I then decided to change my tone. I wanted Marc to know I supported him.

"Marc, you should have kids if it's what you really want. You deserve a family more than anyone I know. Especially me." I said.

"I just don't think it's ever going to happen, Dan. Life just never worked out that way." He said, saddened.

"MAKE it happen! Don't give up so easily! Get inseminated, adopt, sleep with a random female seahorse! Maybe Marlene will agree to it!" I said, joking at the last bit.

"Dan!"

"Or, let's make it easier! Take my kid!"

"DANIEL! Don't joke about that!" He said, but laughing as he did.

"I'm kidding…" I said, grinning.

His smile faded.

"What about Cora? We just started seeing each other. How is she going to react if I suddenly throw the whole baby idea at her?" Marc said.

"Just tell her what you told me; it's something you've always wanted. She can be a part of it if she wants to."

"But, I think I might truly love her. I don't want to scare her away!"

"Well, I guess it's really up to you. I'll support you either way. Just let me know whenever it happens, and I'll give you your book back." I said.

"Deal." Marc said.

Suddenly, the baby began rolling again, causing me to gasp in response.

"What is it? Are you in pain?" Marc asked anxiously.

"No. She's just moving again. It startled me." I said, holding my belly.

"I can…see it happening. That's so bizarre!" He said.

"I know. It's been visible since week six."

"Dan, I hope this isn't too weird, but can I…" Marc outstretched his hand.

"Go for it." I sighed.

Marc rested his hand gently against the side of my stomach. His eyes began to widen with either shock or amazement.

"Whoa…" He said.

"Yeah."

"What is it like on your end?"

"It's like that lurching feeling you get in your stomach when on a roller coaster." I explained.

"That must be odd."

"Marc?" I said.

"Mm'hm?" He said, still totally engrossed with my stomach.

"Are we…are we back on good terms?" I said, just making sure.

"Daniel, of course we are. You're my best friend. I couldn't avoid you forever." He chuckled.

"I really need your support through this." I said.

"Well, whether you like it or not, you have it." He promised me.

And, with 2 weeks to go, I needed all the support I could get. The train of fatherhood would hit me sooner than I could comprehend it. My life was about to change forever.


	18. PuPu Goodtimes

Chapter 18: PuPu Goodtimes

(Author's Note: To the kind French commenter, I really appreciate all your lovely feedback. It seems you really like Coach Salmons, so I wrote him into this chapter for you. J'espère que vous apprécierez ce nouveau chapitre!)

After sitting on a bench for two hours straight, I'd decided that being forced to be at an amusement park, without being able to ride any rides, was the worst form of torture out there. At the recent faculty meeting, I was somehow coerced into being the one of the teacher chaperones for the field trip that occurred, just my luck, the day before my paternity leave. Thank goodness I wasn't the only teacher on the trip, or someone would have gotten hurt. Majorly.

Salmons, for some reason, decided to tag along too. I thought it would be nice to have company, but he had decided to actually enjoy himself, by ditching me to actually ride the rides. I honestly didn't blame him; I would've done the exact same thing. So I was sitting alone on a bench, mind-numbingly bored, and having an intense craving for a funnel cake.

"Why do you have to be so NEEDY?" I muttered to my unborn child. A funnel cake would not sit well with me, so I resisted.

"Who's needy?" Salmons asked, returning to sit with me after an hour of absence.

"This kid. I swear, it's a different craving for every hour. Now she wants a funnel cake. I'm NOT eating one." I growled.

"Watching your caloric intake?" Salmons asked, smirking.

"No, I've been having problems with indigestion. And for your information, it's pregnancy weight." I scowled.

"If you say so."

"Why don't you go ride something? Quit bugging me!" I snapped.

"Why don't you?" He asked smoothly.

"I'm not…I'm not allowed to ride anything. Park policy." I muttered.

"Even the merry go round?" Salmons asked.

"Yes, even that." I grimaced.

"Why are you even here?!"

"I was somehow pressured into chaperoning duty at the teacher conference. I thought it'd be better than being at work, but I was wrong; I can sleep at work." I chuckled.

"Still not getting the full eight hours, eh?" Salmons responded.

"She's not as active as she was in the earlier weeks, but it's still a bit of a struggle."

"Probably running out of room, don't you think?"

"Don't push it." I said.

"I'm just saying." Salmons said, raising his fins in defense.

'One week left,' I thought to myself, 'one measly week.'

"By the way, I meant to ask, when are you planning on starting your paternity leave?" He asked.

"Tomorrow." I replied. I was so ready.

"Tomorrow?! Do you have a replacement?"

"Evan." I said, thinking about the awkward little T.A.

"The trainee? Oh Cod…"

"Hey, he's not that bad. Kind of reminds me of myself at that age; back when I was a real go-getter." I mused.

"I can't even picture you that young." Salmons mused.

"You are the NICEST person! REALLY!" I said, gritting my teeth.

"Oh, you know I only pick on you because it grates on your nerves."

"I bet…"

"Oh and Baldwin, did you perchance meet the new guidance counselor? Oh, what's her name…Ms…Ms. Lips." He asked, crossing a tailfin over the other.

I felt my face flush at the question. I had indeed, and she was, well…

"She's…she's nice." I stammered.

"She is, but she's also a bit on the spacy side, am I right?"

"Um, aren't we all?" I replied, wanting to change topics as fast as possible.

"Yes, but her especially. Daniel, you're quite red." Salmons commented.

"What…what do you mean?" I said, trying to seem oblivious.

"I was just noticing your face has a rosy glow to it. It's almost as if…OH MY!"

"What?! Whatever you're thinking, it's not true!" I spat out.

"You LIKE HER!" He cried out in glee.

"NO! That's not…that's not it at all!" I said, blushing even more.

"You stammered! You DO like her!" Richard grinned almost creepily, inching even closer to my side of the bench. I was practically falling off to get away from him.

"I do NOT! It's…I find her…mildly charming." I nearly whispered.

"A HA! So, lover boy, when are you asking her out?"

"NEVER! I'm in a very difficult stage in my life, and I'm in no…condition to be dating. The last thing I need is more drama." I sighed.

"But, this could be the good type of drama!" Salmons said, eyes glittering creepily.

"IS there a good type?"

"ROMANTIC DRAMA!" He nearly sang out.

I stared at him in an awkward bewilderment. I suddenly felt sick, and it wasn't heartburn this time. I wasn't exactly the romantic-type. I had always been the same when it came to dating. It started as a teenager. I could never smoothly talk to girls; it was almost like a handicap. I would sweat profusely and have terrible stomach pains. Sadly, this carried on into my adult years, and was one of the biggest reasons I was still single.

"No, I…I can't do it. She seems like a nice woman; she deserves better." I said.

"In what way? If she dates you, she gets a child as a bonus!"

"Yeah, raising a child that isn't hers! I could never ask that of her!"

"You could always just try. And if you don't tell her about your feelings, well I will!"

"NO! Please don't! She just started working with us, and…I don't want her to feel uncomfortable." I said.

"Oh come on-"

"PLEASE! Promise me you won't tell her! PROMISE!" I panicked.

"OK, OK! I won't tell her! Sheesh!" He grumbled, almost disappointed.

"Thank you." I sighed.

I couldn't imagine adding a love-triangle on top of all the other issues I had in my life. I still cared deeply about Marlene, and didn't feel comfortable being with another fish. At least, not while I was still carrying her child. I adjusted my weight on the bench and crossed my arms across my bump, deep in thought.

"Baldwin?" Salmons said suddenly.

"Yep?" I asked.

I heard the rustling of paper, and looked down to see him inching a gift bag to my end of the bench. I looked back at him, eyebrow arched in question.

"Oh, just open it." He rolled his eyes.

I rooted around in the small bag for a moment, then pulled out what seemed to be a small article of clothing. Upon further examination, I realized it was a pink infant onesie with words printed on the front in a styled cursive.

"Daddy's little girl? Um, okay…" I read aloud, my face flushing.

"Look, I was going to throw you a surprise baby shower in the faculty lounge, but I thought you might feel uncomfortable. I still wanted to give you something, though, so…voila." He explained.

"Yeah, thanks for not acting on that impulse. And, um, thank you for…this." I said.

"Well, she's got to wear something!"

"Agreed." I nodded, avoiding eye contact.

"Daniel, if you don't like it, it can easily be returned. I have the receipt, and-" Salmons began.

"No, no. It's…cute. Really. It's just been awhile since I've gotten a nice gesture; I don't exactly know what to say. Thank you, I suppose."

"In that case, you're welcome and I hope it fits her." He smiled.

"Me too."

"I mean, from the looks of it, she might be on the large side-"

"And, that is where you can stop!" I scowled at his mischievous expression.

Salmons countenance suddenly changed to one of shock. I realized very quickly that he was looking over my shoulder.

"What? What is it?!" I asked.

"Don't look." Richard said.

"What you mean by that?" I asked, starting to feel anxious.

"Trust me. Don't look." He repeated.

"But I-"

"Oops. Too late." He said, teeth gritted.

"What are you talking about?!"

"She's swimming over here." He cringed, trying not to look anymore.

"WHO?!" I cried in annoyance.

"Daniel?" A soft voice asked.

'Of course.' I thought, and turned around.

"Hello, Marlene." I said, calmer than I expected.

"Richard Salmons?" She said in surprise, looking at my bench-mate.

"Been awhile, hasn't it Marley?" He responded.

"Um, yes. It has." She said, clearly uncomfortable.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her.

"Barry had the day off, so he thought we should have a date day. What about you?" Marlene said.

"Chaperoning."

"You're on a field trip? When I was in high school, a field trip was a trip to the Fed!" She almost laughed. I loved it when she laughed.

"I know; I was there." I reminded her.

"Well, this is awkward as hell! I think I'll just go." Salmons said, floating away.

"Bring me back a funnel cake!" I cried to him.

Marlene took the now empty space left by Salmons. I hadn't seen her in weeks, and wasn't sure what to say.

"I didn't know you were friends with Richard Salmons."

"Me neither. We're mostly just co-workers, but he's been kind of nice to me lately. Kind of."

"Maybe he pities you?"

"Doubt it." I snickered.

"How much time left?" She inquired.

"About a week. Give or take." I said, tapping my stomach absentmindedly.

"Attending any prenatal classes?" Marlene said.

"You honestly think I have time?" I chuckled.

"Didn't think so."

"I've been doing a lot of research, though. It's helped."

"Do you feel…ready?"

My cynical smile faded.

"No," I said monotonously. "Not really."

"Well, you still have time." She said.

"Yeah. Sort of." I sighed, rubbing my neck.

We fell into an awkward silence, and I wondered what she was thinking. I took a minute to look at Marlene; really look at her. To her credit, she'd aged well over the years. Hardly any grey hairs and very few age lines. Yet, she still had this tired, worn air about her, and her age showed because of it.

"So, where's Barry?" I started up again.

"He's getting our lunch." She said.

"I'd like to meet him, if possible." I said calmly.

Marlene froze, turning white at the comment. She stole a glance at my bump and chewed her lip.

"Um, yeah. Alright." She stammered.

I could tell she was afraid her little secret might slip out, but I truly didn't have any ulterior motives other than to meet Marlene's lover. Still, her suspiciousness was justified, and I thought about playing with this a bit.

"So, what have you been up to?" I asked.

"Not much. Just the usual day-to-day. I think you have it much more exciting than me." Marlene said.

"That's a way to put it."

"I thought it sounded a bit more positive." She said.

"I guess." I shrugged.

"Well, I am happy for you." She said. An odd statement, but a nice one nonetheless.

"Thanks?" I said.

Suddenly a fish showed up, a hot dog in either fin, looking at me and Marlene in great confusion.

"Marlene, honey, I got our lunch. Who's this?" The fish asked. I assumed this was the beloved Barry.

"Barry! This is Daniel Baldwin. He's an old…friend." She said, hastily introducing me.

"Boyfriend, actually. We dated in high school." I spoke up.

"Briefly!" Marlene cut in.

"What an interesting encounter! Well, it's very nice to meet you, Dan." He said, handing Marlene her food and extending a fin for me to shake.

I did. Firmly and with a smug smile. I could tell this was one of the most oblivious and unassuming fish who'd ever lived.

"Pleasure is mine." I said.

Marlene scowled at me. I gave her a coy grin. I wanted to test her emotions.

'This could be fun.' I thought to myself.

"Seem to have a bit of a paunch going there. I part-time as a personal trainer, if you need some help." Barry commented.

"Oh, he's not-" Marlene began.

"I'm pregnant." I interrupted. I watched her face redden.

"Excuse me! In that case, congratulations! How many?" He said.

"…one. Just one." It was my turn to feel embarrassed.

"One, huh? Isn't that interesting, hon'?" He said to Marlene.

"Mm'hm." She nodded, still giving me a threatening expression.

"Actually, Barry, you should know something about Marlene." I said.

Marlene paled and beads of sweat began forming on her brow.

"Oh yeah?"

"She…she's a very lovely woman. You're quite lucky to have her." I said.

I watched her almost melt in relief, and smirked.

"Well, I think I should leave you two to catch up!" Barry said.

"OK, honey. See you in a minute. How about we ride the Ferris wheel next?" She suggested.

"Fine by me." He said.

Marlene kissed him. It was brief, but I still felt sad. The minute Barry left, however , Marlene gave me the most rage-filled look I'd ever received. If looks could kill, you get it.

"You're an ass!" She snapped, sitting back down next to me in a huff.

"What ever do you mean?" I said, faking innocence.

"Just then! Toying with my emotions! You wanted him to figure it out!" Marlene continued.

I didn't respond, and she cut her eyes at me.

"Why didn't you just tell him? You had an open opportunity, but you didn't. Why?" She sighed.

"Because, believe it or not, I like seeing you happy. And, Barry is a nice guy. Oblivious, but nice. But, more importantly, he makes you happy." I said, serious now.

"I love him so much." She said.

"I can tell." I said.

"Thank you for not...you know." She said.

"Listen, there is one thing, though. Something I've been meaning to ask you."

"What?"

"Would you please be there when she's born? I'd like your support. Plus, you'd get to see her at least once." I said.

"Dan, I…I'm not sure if-"

"Please. I'm only asking because you're her mother; biologically at least, nothing can change that."

"I'll think about it." She sighed.

"I appreciate it."

Marlene then said she wanted to go find Barry again, and I watched her leave. I still hadn't told her how I felt. That I truly, deeply loved her. After finally meeting Barry, it was too painful.

"Well, THAT was interesting!" Salmons said, returning to the bench.

"You eavesdropped?!" I cried.

"Daniel, what do you take me for?! Of COURSE I did!"

"You are incredible!" I snapped.

"I know, I know." He grinned, and handed me a funnel cake.

I forgave him immediately. Yet, as I enjoyed the sweet bliss of a satisfied pregnancy craving, I couldn't stop thinking my strange encounter with Marlene, and hoped it wouldn't be our last.


	19. Waiting

Chapter 19: Waiting

I rummaged through yet another box, desperately trying to find any hand-me-downs fit for an infant. After Mom had brought me the old crib, I began to wonder what else was stashed up in her attic. With her help, I brought all the boxes with my name on it back to my apartment, hoping to find something worth passing on to my kid. So far, the search was a failure, but it was keeping me busy. I had only been on leave a few days and I was already bored out of my mind. Not to mention the kid was taking her sweet time actually arriving. I was sure I'd be overdue.

"And this box has…" I mumbled, picking through things, "college stuff. Fantastic."

I wasn't exactly surprised I couldn't find anything. I didn't remember much of my early years in the foster system, let alone any toys I may or may not have had. No security blanket, no stuffed animals, no nothing. Still, it was nice looking through my old things. I pulled my long-lost letterman jacket out of the box and gleefully slipped my arms in the sleeves.

"Wow," I said, surprised, "still fits!"

'Well, almost fits.' I thought, looking down at my sizable midriff.

I sighed and slipped the jacket off. I tossed it back in the box. I shifted more things around until I came across one of my old year books. I excitedly flipped through the pages, a nostalgic feeling building. I found the page I was looking for, littered with black and white pictures and the cheesy title "Best Buds." A seemingly ancient picture of Marc and I smiled back at me.

"I had more hair then." I grumbled, pitching the yearbook aside.

"Here's…another…BOX!" Cora said, slamming said item on the floor.

"Isn't my sister so nice for bringing these over?" I asked.

"Yeah, no complement for the friend breaking her back carrying them up the stairs!" She snipped.

"You're very kind." I said, already looking through the new box.

"No problem…I think…I'm really thirsty…I'm going to go drink the things in your fridge…" She panted, swimming off into the kitchen.

"That's fine, just be sure to avoid that…stuff…" I said, distractedly.

"Oh cod! Is there, like, unlabeled baby formula in here?!" She cried.

"What? No! I was just going to warn you about the pineapple juice. I know you're allergic and I didn't want you to think it was lemonade."

"Why do you have pineapple juice? You hate that stuff." She said, returning with a simple glass of water.

"Cravings do strange things to you." I said, still digging through the box.

Cora returned with a simple glass of water, about the time I figured out the newest box was useless.

"Dang it." I said, shoving it aside.

"And what exactly are you looking for?" She asked.

"Kids things. Toys, clothing, stuffed animals. Anything in that area." I said, prying open yet another box.

"I'm guessing no luck thus far?"

"You would be correct."

The box contained more stuff from my high school and college years. The first few items were nothing more than old junk, but immediately after I found something really exciting.

"Ha! I can't believe I still have these!" I said, flipping through my stack of near-new comics.

"Captain Aquarium? You actually read that crap?" Cora looked over my shoulder.

"You didn't?"

"Too predictable. Damsel in distress, wimp turned hero goes to her rescue, the day is saved again, blah blah blah. No thank you." She sipped at her drink.

"Mm, they might be worth something. They're practically pristine." I said.

"Eighties comics? Doubtful. Dime a dozen."

I began opening up a few of them on the basis of pure nostalgia. I remembered when I used to worship this guy. Cora stuck her fins in the box and continued the rooting process. She pulled out a finful of cassette tapes and snorted as she looked at the covers.

"Fish-Styx? You gotta' be kidding me! First the comics, now this junk?"

"College was a different time. And besides, I still enjoy Fish-Styx every now and then, so quiet!" I said, snatching the tapes away from her.

I sorted through the assortment, noting the titles I'd since forgotten. "Fishes of Eight," "Cornertank," "The Sea Serpent Is Rising," and others. Even though Fish-Styx was mostly composed in the 70s, I still felt nostalgia for their music as though it were from my generation.

I hadn't noticed Cora had been flipping through my Freshwater High yearbook, and she suddenly let out a large guffaw.

"Oh COD, Dan! What the heck?!" She cried, continuing her peals of laughter over something in the book.

"I don't even want to know." I sighed.

Whatever picture I took from whatever grade in high school was bound to be horrifying. Not that I was exactly an Adonis at my current age, but my teen years were at least 10x worse. I tried to ignore her squeals and continued flipping through "Captain Aquarium: Issue 6."

'Who knows? Maybe she'll like comics and 70s music.' I thought wishfully, blushing at the idea of having an equally nerdy offspring.

"Hey, Marlene's in here, right?" Cora asked, still buried in the book.

"She should be. Check under 'S.' It's alphabetical."

She flipped for a bit, then stopped. I anticipated more laughter, but she'd gone silent.

"What is it?" I said, managing to get upright and look over her shoulder.

"Marlene. She's…really pretty!" Cora said, almost in awe.

It was her junior year photo. And, yes, she was.

"Did you think I was exaggerating when I said I'd dated the most attractive girl at Freshwater?"

"Actually, yes." Cora snickered.

"Eh, I don't blame you."

"But Baldy, if this is what Marlene looks like, your kid is going to be gorgeous."

"C'mon. You don't think I'm attractive enough for the gene pool?" I asked, smirking.

"Ooh, how do I put this nicely? No."

I knew we were both joking, but I couldn't help feeling a twinge of sadness just looking at Marlene's picture. I tried not to think about the baby, but I couldn't help it. She'd look just like her mother. It was part of the never ending loop of punishment from the universe that was my life. And knowing my track record, I'd surely end up with a child who looks exactly like my ex-girlfriend. It was unavoidable.

I glumly sunk down on my couch, no longer feeling up to making jokes.

"Hey, are you OK? Wait, I didn't really mean all that. Your genes are…lovely." Cora said, sitting herself next to me.

"It's not…well, she will look like Marlene. I know you were joking then, but I'm sure of it."

"What makes you think that?"

"Just my luck she'd look more like Marlene than me." I sighed.

"Well, maybe she'll be a ginger, but what about skin color? Eye color? And, who knows, she might inherit your blindness." Cora chuckled.

"For her sake, I hope not." I smiled, but it quickly faded.

"What now?" Cora asked, actually concerned.

"It'll just be so hard. I mean, if she and I don't look anything alike. People will ask questions and…she'll ask questions." I said, looking at my bump.

"You know she would eventually. When she notices most of her friends have two parents instead of one, she'll get curious."

"The story is so complex, though. I wouldn't even know where to begin!"

"Daniel, you're thinking like six years down the road. Slow down! She isn't even born yet."

"I KNOW!" I snapped.

I looked over at Cora, who seemed more than pissed about my outburst.

"Wait. I'm sorry, really. It's…it's the hormones and the sleep deprivation." I said.

"And I bet you're pretty anxious to not be pregnant anymore." Cora nodded, seeming to understand.

"Yes," I said. "Exactly."

Not wanting to sit still any longer, I left the sofa and went back to sorting through boxes. Cora began sifting through the large stacks of books on my coffee table. She'd pick one up, read the front, and toss it aside for another.

"Someone's been reading. What are all these for?" Cora asked.

"Pregnancy books, parenting books. I guess I went a bit overboard. I mean, after Marc gave me that first guide he had, I realized how much I didn't know about babies, and I kind of got nervous and maxed out my library card."

"Why would Marc have something like that?"

I froze. I'd forgotten Cora didn't know about Marc's desire to have kids. Everything slipped my mind lately, but I was kicking myself about this one. I was about to ruin everything.

"Um…" I began, praying for an interruption.

"I'm here!" Marc walked in, being that interruption.

"About time! I've been moving boxes all day and that's what YOU do for a living!" Cora said, but still smiling. She'd forgotten about my comment. I heaved a sigh of relief.

"Well I have been keeping busy I assure you." He grinned.

They pulled in for a kiss, and I was left feeling somehow lonely. Hard as I tried, I couldn't help but think of Marlene. I felt ill.

"You alright, Dan?" Marc asked.

"Oh yeah, I'm just a bit tired. Got a lot done today." I said.

"Did you find anything?" He said.

"Aside from a few childhood comics and some old tapes, not really."

I was legitimately disappointed. I'd really wanted to find something, anything she could latch on to and grow up with. Now I knew I'd have to find her something store-bought. Something without a history or years worth of love put into it. I'm not sure why it bothered me so much, but it did.

"That's really too bad." Marc said.

"Yeah, yeah. Really too bad. OK, someone else is gonna' have to move all these back down to the car because I am WIPED OUT!" Cora said.

"Wiped out? You carried up three boxes and then laughed at my high school pictures!" I said.

"Yeah, I'm pretty bushed. Marc, I'll be in your apartment if you need me. Dan, just…don't need me." Cora said, then floated out the door.

Marc and I just rolled our eyes and began putting the boxes back together. I decided to keep the Fish-Styx tapes out, but packed my comics back away.

'Goodbye, old friends.' I thought, taping up the box.

I looked up to see Marc flipping through my year book. After my experience with Cora, I braced for the worst.

"You should keep this one." He said, much to my surprise.

"Because my twelfth grade picture is humorous?" I asked.

"There's a picture of Marlene in here, right?" He said.

"So?"

"I take it you don't have that many pictures of her. And it may not be anytime soon, but the kid will ask questions. It'd be nice to have an available picture of her mom." He said, uncomfortably serious.

"Oh..." I said. I took the yearbook and made some extra room for it on my bookshelf. It felt heavier than it was.

"I'll help you take the stuff back to your mom's tomorrow, alright?" Marc said.

"Mm'hm." I said.

"Are you OK?" Marc asked, noticing my new mood.

"It's just a lot. I wish I had more time, because I'm still really questioning this whole parenting thing. Mostly where I stand in terms of capability." I sighed.

"You'll be fine. I guarantee it. Besides, if you need any help, I'm across the hall. And your family is pretty close by, so that's an extra set of resources." He assured me, though I was not wholly assured.

"That's true." I muttered.

"Also, you're really tired. Get some sleep, alright?" Marc said, patting my shoulder for further reassurance.

"M'kay. Tomorrow, then?"

"Sure thing!" Marc said, then left. I was by myself in the apartment once more. It would be my last night alone.

I readjusted my pillows once more, not finding any position particularly comfortable. My back was hurting the most the past two weeks and there was nothing to be done about it. I finally found a semi-decent position to sit in, and went back to my reading. My eyes flew over a sentence that read "studies have been inconclusive, but doctors believe that unborn fry may be able to hear sounds outside of the brood pouch from six weeks on."

"Great! I've already been scarring you for life and I didn't even know it." I laughed tiredly.

The baby moved slightly, but I could still see it on the surface. "Discomfort" was the word of the week, and I was in world of it.

"Could you maybe not move, please? I know it's no picnic for you in there, but I need to draw the line somewhere and you are completely out of room, missy!" I told my stomach.

It felt strange talking to someone that wasn't there. Or, at least wasn't yet. I now knew she could probably hear me, but it still felt it would be the same as talking to a wall. Still, I felt a bit guilty for fussing. She was probably just as uncomfortable as I was.

"Sorry, kiddo. I didn't mean to snap, but I'm so tired and I just can't sleep. When it's not something hurting, I'm just thinking about you getting here. I know I'm far from ready, and I'm going to make so many mistakes." My voice trailed off.

On one hand, talking to her made me feel kind of silly. On the other hand, it was really cathartic. The latter hand won.

"I should probably apologize in advance. You are about to be born into a very interesting situation. Hell, your mother is absent and your father, me by the way, will have no clue what he's doing most of the time. I'll also be working two jobs for some extra money. Fish Flakes, who knew? I probably did better at the interview than I thought. You'd probably know; you were there." I laughed a laugh that was close to sounding like hysteria.

I. Was. Tired.

"Not to mention the rest of your family. Your grandparents are pretty sane, but your aunts, especially Aunt Cora, are pretty out there! Don't even get me started on your Uncle Marc. We go way back and I know he's borderline nuts…mm. Point is, most of your clan is made of weirdoes. But, they're going to love you so much. I'll…love you so, so much. Hey, go easy on me, alright? It's my first time at this parenting businesses. I'm pretty nervous, to say the least. And don't count on any siblings. It's not happening. Also, I don't really mind if you look like your mom. Not that much, at least." I explained, softly rubbing the sides of my belly.

The conversation with her/myself trailed off, and I went back to reading. The book continued on to suggest things to do with the fry while still in the brood pouch. None of them seemed to interest me, with the exception of one. I heaved myself out of bed and found my tapes. I also dug up some head phones and an old Walkman.

"So, kiddo," I said, returning to the bed, "wanna' listen to some Fish-Styx?"


	20. Onset

Chapter 20: Onset

My head swam, trying to pull me from my latest nightmare and back into reality. My vision was blurred, and I frantically rubbed my eyes. I slowly shifted into a sitting position, my handing fumbling around on my nightstand for my glasses. Slipping them on, I tiredly looked around the apartment. It was pitch black, sans the stream of light peering from under the bathroom door. Having to "go" at least six times over the course of one night, I learned to keep it on.

"Why am I awake?" I mumbled aloud to myself.

I pushed through the fog of my mind in hope of remembering the dream I'd just had. Nothing specific came up, but the dream had been filled with a lot of pain. Pain so brutal, I swore it was real. I shuddered, shaking it off, and turned my eyes to the glowing blue clock. It read 1:45.

"Oh Cod..." I groaned. I was so tired, but why couldn't I sleep?

I glanced around the dark room, my eyes settling on the cradle. I often found myself staring at it and the entire corner I'd set aside for the baby. Changing table, stuffed toys, playpen, highchair in the kitchen. Mom had even given me her old rocking chair. Much like the cradle, none of my sisters had wanted it. I took it gratefully, and lately I'd been using it to rock myself to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night. I might have been prepared material wise, but definitely not mentally.

I sat back against the headboard, letting myself be weighed down by her. I knew I should've laid back down and counted sheep-fish, but something propelled me to do the opposite. I swung my tail over the side of the bed and flipped on my bedside lamp. The baby suddenly shifted upwards, causing minor discomfort.

"OK kiddo, you're awake, so I'm awake." I sighed, staring down at my bump. "What do you want?"

I felt that familiar feeling from deep within my stomach, like I wanted to skewer a pineapple with a dill pickle. Damn cravings.

"You're hungry. That means I'm hungry. Fantastic."

One hand grasped the headboard, the other fisted the mattress as I mentally prepared myself to get out of bed. I exhaled, and slowly got upright once more. Of course, it'd be another struggle to get back in the bed later. I steadied myself and at the same time gently massaged the small of my back.

"Is there a part of my body you don't bring pain to?"

I didn't love the way I'd worded that, but I realized she had no clue what I was saying. It probably all sounded like white noise. I kept one hand on the wall as I moved towards the kitchen, as if somehow trying to keep my balance. I rested the other hand on my stomach, trying to quiet the baby's erratic movement. Nearly into my 10th week, and with how large she was, it wasn't at all enjoyable.

I entered the kitchen and flipped the switch, flooding the room with glaring light. Opening the fridge, I pulled out the carton of pineapple juice and the pickle jar. I poured the pineapple juice and pickle juice into one glass, stirred, and sipped. A frightening concoction, really, but she did inevitably quiet down. The pregnancy had possessed my taste buds, and quite frankly the drink tasted pretty good. I gulped the first half of the glass in one go.

"Satisfied?" I asked her.

'This is wrong on so many levels.' I thought, but continued to drink.

I took a moment to look out the window. The store was closed, and the lights were off with the exception of one Luxo lamp. It gave off a bluish hue, and provided a comforting glow to the tanks after hours. It didn't come close to the real moon, I'd seen that, but it was something of a substitute.

The soreness in my back returning, I decided to take the rest of the glass to the comfort of my bed. Halfway out of the kitchen, I paused. A strange feeling had come over me. The cramping that had begun in my back had shifted, and a new pain washed over my midriff. It was subtle at first, but, as if it had known I'd noticed it, suddenly became severe. I cried out in a mix of surprise and agony, releasing the glass. It floated away from my grasp as I was brought to the floor from this new level of pain.

"Oh Cod, oh Cod, oh Cod…" I panted, my whole body seizing.

I descended to the floor into a tense fetal position. My arms were wrapped protectively, almost instinctively, around my bump. A random thought dashed through my head. It was of something I'd read in one of the prenatal guides.

"Seahorses are more likely to begin the delivery process at night, as per ancestral instinct. It is to be ready for the female's next clutch the following morning." The book read.

I was in labor. Of course. The pain suddenly worsened. I tried desperately to avoid screaming at all costs, for my neighbors would surely hear me through the paper-thin walls.

'Neighbors…Marc…' I thought. Marc would know what to do.

The pain subsided at last, and I shakily got off the floor. I grabbed my robe off the bed post and made my way to the door. I hesitated, waiting to see if more pain would come. Five minutes passed, and nothing happened. I undid the locks and threw the door open. Holding my robe closed with one hand, and steading myself with the other, I carefully made it across the hall. I kept one hand on the wall, preparing myself for more pain, and gently knocked on the door.

"Marc." I called, too softly. It was in the middle of the night. He was as awake as a corpse.

I pounded on the door harder, carefully checking for disturbed neighbors. No other doors opened. Before I could knock again, another contraction was upon me. My hand moved to the door frame, gripping it in a desperate attempt not to fall again. This time, I didn't care about volume control. Fear and pain won. My fist slammed against the wood repeatedly.

"Marc! Cora! Anybody! Open the Coddamn door!" I cried with no restraint.

I leaned against the doorframe the best I could, the tightening encompassing me again. Finally, I heard the sound of clicking locks. The door slowly swung open.

"Dan? What are you…what time is it?" Marc murmured, rubbing his eyes.

"She's coming…" I panted.

"Huh? What?"

"It's…time…" I began sliding to the floor again.

Marc's eyes flew open, and his arm shot under mine, firmly pulling me upward.

"I gotcha', I gotcha'. You OK?" He asked, slowly leading me inside.

"I think so. The pain's…ebbing." I breathed.

"Good, good. Just try to relax." Marc instructed, sitting me on his couch.

I adjusted myself, trying to get more comfy. My back was still incredibly tight, and I realized that I'd never feel fully comfortable again until the baby was out. My eyes roved around the room, and I spotted Cora lying in the bed, staring hazily at the both of us.

"It's almost 2 in the morning. What the hell is Dan doing here?" Cora snapped.

"He's in labor. Why else would he be here?" Marc answered for me.

"So should I get the towels, boil some water…" Cora said, practically rolling out of the bed.

"She's joking, right?" I asked, heart pounding.

"Of course she is. Cora, just put some clothes on. We're going to the hospital." Marc said.

I thought about asking if I should get dressed, too. But then I remembered I was just going to be in a gown all night, and kept my mouth shut.

"Do you mind if I check you?" Marc asked me.

"I guess not…wait, what?" I said, not awake enough.

"I want to check your dilation. You might not need to go to the hospital right away."

"Um, OK." I said, not sure how that worked.

"Lift up your shirt." Marc instructed.

I obliged, watching him wash his hands in the kitchen. I glanced down momentarily, and cried out in shock. There was now what appeared to be a finger-wide opening bridging the gap between my sternum and my stomach.

"Marc! What is that thing?!" I asked, afraid of the answer.

"That would be the opening of your brood pouch. It's been closed tight until now." He explained, carefully examining the opening.

"You're telling me that's where she'll…come out?" I asked, looking away. I didn't want to look at it.

"It gets wider." Marc chuckled.

"That doesn't make me feel a lot better!"

"Now, have you felt any fluid leaking out of this area? Sort of a white or clear substance?"

"No." I said, raising my eyebrow.

"You sure?" He asked.

"Positive."

"You're pretty far along. How certain are you that the contractions just started?"

"Pretty certain…wait…" I said, pulling my shirt down.

"What?" He raised his eyebrow.

"Well, I don't remember much about the dream I was having, but I remember a lot of pain. Could it be possible I was…I mean, in my sleep?"

"Maybe. The pain should've woken you up, but if you were tired enough. Oh well, no matter. We're going to the hospital anyway." Marc said, leaving to get dressed.

I was in the middle of tying my robe closed, when the next contraction snuck up on me.

"Ah! COD!" I cried out, gripping the couch cushion.

"Breathe." Marc reminded me, changing out of his night shirt.

"Helpful…" I muttered sarcastically.

Despite my comment, the breathing did help, if only momentarily. Still, I didn't need the books to know that the pain could only get worse from here.

"Cheese and crackers…" I hissed, slowly laying down on the couch.

Nausea swept over me, and my tail curled. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to imagine being somewhere more pleasant.

"Hanging in there?" Marc asked.

"If you say so…" I breathed, relaxing my grip on the cushion.

The contraction had dissipated, and I slowly opened my eyes again. I idly looked at my hand, which quickly grabbed my full attention. Its normal green hue had faded to a chalk white. I cried out in surprise when I discovered it wasn't just my hand, but my whole body.

"What's wrong?" Marc asked in response.

"Have I been like this the whole time?!" I cried, my gaze shifting between Marc and my quavering hand.

"Huh?" He raised an eyebrow.

"My pigment is gone! What's wrong with me?!"

Marc chuckled at my panic, which confused me immensely.

"Did you even READ all those books?" He scoffed.

"Of course I did!"

"Then you would remember that, like chameleons, we can change colors. It's uncontrollable when we're under stress. Sometimes I doubt you know anything about your own species." Marc scoffed.

"No need to rub it in…" I mumbled, staring at my now completely white arm. I flexed it. It didn't feel different, but it was still incredibly unnerving.

"Cora, are you dressing for the prom? What is taking you so long?" Marc asked, eyeing me anxiously.

"Makeup takes time!" She responded from the bathroom.

"Why in Cod's name are you wearing makeup? We're going to a hospital at two in the morning! None of us look good!" Marc growled.

"I just didn't want to seem too tired." Cora said as she floated back into the room. She was busily tying up her second pigtail.

"Once again, we're…oh never mind!" Marc said.

"Can we, uh, move this along? I didn't exactly sign up for a home birth." I muttered, losing my patience.

Marc immediately proceeded to hoist me off the couch. He pinned my arm to his side, in case I'd need the extra support.

"Why are you white?" Cora asked me, taking my other arm.

"I'll tell you later." Marc said, ushering me towards the door.

"Wait, wait, wait…" I said, causing Marc and Cora to freeze in place.

"What is it?" Marc asked.

"Contraction?" Cora piped up.

"Don't freak out. I just want my phone." I sighed.

"Oh. Is it in your apartment? I'll get it." Cora said.

"Bedside table." I said.

Cora took my keys and rushed off. I leaned against the doorway and breathed steadily.

"You doing alright?" Marc questioned.

I nodded, though grimacing.

"Nausea." I said.

"I almost forgot, do you have your overnight bag?"

"Trunk of my car. It's been there for a week."

"Car seat in there, too?"

"Mm'hm." I said.

"Got it, got it!" Cora said, speeding out of my apartment.

She shoved the cell phone into my hand and I hastily crammed it into my robe pocket.

"I just remembered something that's going to irk you." Cora said, placing her fin in my grip.

"What now?" I asked.

"We're on the fourth floor, and there's no elevator in this building."

Marc and I groaned in unison. The idea of climbing all those flights, even if we were descending, seemed daunting. Though slow and steady, and pausing once for another contraction, we did manage to get to my car.

"So," Cora said, dangling my keychain in her fin, "who wants to drive?"

I immediately snatched the keys out of her grip and handed them to Marc.

"I've seen you drive a motorcycle. No thanks." I said.

"We didn't crash, did we?" She said.

"Not a strong argument. And I drive for a living." Marc said.

"Fine. But I call shotgun."

"Cora, I love you, but you are so immature." Marc said.

"Aw, you love me?" Cora said, faking surprise.

"I honestly couldn't care less right now. Can we get in the car please?" I snapped.

"I'm sorry, Dan. Did you want the front seat?" She asked.

"Honestly, right now, I think I want to lie down." I breathed, feeling my stomach contracting under my touch.

"OK, OK. Stay calm." Marc said, helping me into the backseat.

"I'm fine. Drive. Please, please drive."

I curled up into myself, panting heavily. I bit my fist to distract myself, praying I wasn't about to be carsick.

"Settled?" Marc asked, buckling in.

"Yeah." I managed.

"How's our precious cargo?" Cora asked, smiling coyly.

"I will personally ruin YOUR shirt when time comes for me to vomit!" I glared at her.

"Touchy." Cora smirked.

"Relax, Dan. We'll be at Freshwater General in ten minutes or less." Marc assured me, already pulling out of the parking lot.

"Relax," I groaned, "right…"

After a minute of the most tense relaxing of my life, another contraction had passed. Gripping one of the headrests, I carefully sat up again. I felt incredibly dizzy, and I was already getting worn out. Having a quiet moment to think, it set in that I was really nearing the birth of my first child. I suddenly felt a welling of panic from inside, and the dizziness intensified. I quickly took deeper breaths in an attempt to bring more oxygen into my body.

Another thought suddenly dawned on me, and I scrambled for my phone. I punched in the number and waited for the dial tone.

"Who ya' calling?" Cora asked.

I didn't respond, and continued listening to the phone. I knew she wouldn't pick up the phone, it was in the middle of the night. Still, I waited patiently for the voicemail message.

"Hi," the message said, "you've reached Marlene. I'm away from my phone right now, so if you could please leave me a message, that'd be great. Leave your number and I'll be sure to call you back as soon as possible. Thank you."

The beep sounded, and I hesitated briefly.

"Hey, um, it's me," I began, "I realize it's obscenely late, but being a man of my word, I wanted to let you know that…she's coming. It's time, and I would really like it if you were there when she arrives. She's your daughter, too, after all. Anyway, if you even get this message before tomorrow…I mean, this morning, I'll be at Freshwater General for the big event. Please think about it."

I hung up the phone, and realized I was crying a bit. I also realized Cora was staring at me.

"Marlene?" She asked.

"Yeah. Voicemail message." I nodded, tucking the phone away in my pocket.

"You OK?"

"Mm'hm. It's painful, is all." I said, wiping my eyes with the sleeve of my robe.

Cora knew I didn't mean the contractions, and reached into the backseat to squeeze my hand.

"We're here for you, Baldy. I mean, what are we, chopped chum?" She said.

"Thanks…" I sighed, smiling faintly.

A few minutes later, the car came to a stop outside of the hospital. I was shaking anxiously as I looked out the window at the brightly lit building.

"You help him get checked in, and I'll park the car?" Marc said to Cora.

"Fine by me. I'll go find a wheelchair." Cora said, hopping out of the car.

'This is it,' I thought, 'this is really happening.'

The nausea came back, and I took more deep breaths in an attempt to ward off the vomit. It was anxiety more than anything. A second later, Cora was at my door with a vacant wheelchair and an outstretched fin.

"All set. You ready?" She asked.

"As I'll ever be." I responded, deciding it was my best option for an answer.

I took her fin and she slowly but firmly moved me into the wheelchair. As if on cue, another contraction started, my whole body seeming to cringe at it. I gripped the armrests and tried to breathe through it. Cora was about to ask if I was alright, but I waved her off.

"I'm fine," I said, and in a much braver voice than I felt. "Let's do this."


	21. Labor

Chapter 21: Labor

I was somewhere calm, tranquil, serene. I wasn't exactly sure where, but I could hear a waterfall in the background. It was so soothing, and I was the most relaxed I'd ever felt in my life. Or, maybe the waterfall was actually just the tank filter. And maybe I was actually in a brightly lit hospital room, in the starchiest gown on the planet, with the world's most annoying IV jammed in my hand. And maybe, just maybe, I was actually riding out the millionth contraction I'd had in the past hour, assumedly only halfway through a very, very painful labor. Yep, it was the latter.

"I'm still here! It didn't work…" I growled, slamming my head against the pillow.

"Damn. And those guides on visualization techniques came so highly recommended." Cora sighed.

"Anything else?! Please, anything?!" I said, nearing points of desperation.

"Well, gee, we've tried breathing, we've tried visualization, you won't let us touch you, so a massage is out of the question. How about some freaking drugs, already?!" Cora snapped.

I took pleasure in taking a moment to flip her the bird, and in response she lunged out of her chair, fully intending to strangle me. Marc leaped up to hold her back, to which I added a pain-laced smirk.

"Hey, chill! Both of you! If Dan doesn't want drugs, it's his decision. I know we're all a little tense because we're at the hospital at 3AM having a baby instead of being at home…in bed…asleep." Marc cut-in, a slight amount of sadness creeping into his voice that he really wasn't in bed.

"You don't know the MEANING of the word tense!" I said, a little louder than I'd meant to, the contraction deciding to peak at that very moment.

"I was just trying to help." Marc sighed, rubbing his eyes, completely exhausted.

"I know…I know. I'm sorry, I'm just…sorry." I sighed, grinding the heel of my fist into my forehead. My body finally relaxed once more, and I let out a sigh of relief, melting into my pillow.

"Let's try something else." Cora suggested, calming a bit.

"What haven't we tried?" I mumbled, closing my eyes. I pinched the bridge of my nose in irritation.

"Hey! How about a focal point?" Marc said.

"A what?" I asked.

"Something, like an object or totem, you can concentrate on when you're in pain. Makes you feel more in control." Marc said.

"So, it has to be something relaxing…" Cora said.

"Something small…" Marc said.

"And something that stands out, so I can find it easily." I said.

"Hmm…wait! I've got something!" Cora cried, snapping her fin.

She dug around in her purse for a moment or two, then yanked out something tiny and held it aloft victoriously. To her, it was the Holy Grail of focal points. To me, it was just a toy gnome.

"Well, it stands out." Marc said.

"Right?" Cora grinned. She was clearly punchy from sleep-deprivation.

"You want a pink-haired gnome to be my focal point?" I asked, confused.

"Dan, it's clearly a troll!" Cora said, sounding offended.

"You're kidding, right? This is ridiculous! It's just a stupid trinket out of a vending machine!" I said.

"Just try the Coddamn troll, Daniel." Marc said, also reaching the end of his, presumably, endless patience. I scowled at him.

"Fine. I have to wait for a flipping contraction first." I said, closing my eyes again.

"They're still five minutes apart, right?" Marc asked.

"Approximately…" I muttered.

"Well, I'm going to get some coffee. Or an energy drink. Anything to keep me on my fins." Cora sighed.

"Coffee does sound good. Want anything, Dan?" Marc said.

"No thanks." I sighed.

"You'll be alright for a few minutes?"

I waved them off, and heard the door close. I sighed, relieved to have a bit of time alone. I sat the bed up slightly, finding sitting up slightly less taxing on my back. I idly massaged the top of my stomach, trying not to anticipate the next contraction, or worse, fear it. My fingers kept brushing against the mysterious fissure Marc and my doctor had deemed the opening of my brood pouch. I hadn't had the courage to even look at it since being at Marc's apartment, but curiosity was quickly overtaking my initial disgust. With quivering fingers, I slowly opened the top of my hospital gown. I bit my tongue, suppressing a gasp of fright upon seeing it again. It had gotten wider in the past hour, but not by much, and it almost seemed to pulsate. I hurriedly closed my gown again, trying to repress mental images of what was soon to emerge from said hole.

And, seemingly out of nowhere, I was suddenly on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

'There's no way I can do this! Who was I trying to fool?! I was never meant to have kids! There must be some way to back out of this Codforsaken mess I've gotten myself into! There's always a way out!'

I opened my eyes. Despite the chaos going on in my head, the room was quiet, with the one exception being the sound of my hyperventilation. Realizing I was close to spiraling, I gripped the bedrail and took a few deep breaths.

"Calm down…just calm down, Dan…" I whispered to myself, which was surprisingly helpful.

The baby, almost in response, shifted upwards. She'd been quiet for quite a bit, assumedly having run out of room, but now she decided to remind me of her presence. Fantastic timing, that kid.

"I know you want out. I'm doing my best." I sighed, leaning into the pillow again.

I eyed my duffle bag sitting on the bedside table, looking for an easy distraction.

'Dare I check my phone?' I wondered.

After a moment of hesitation, I gave in. Fumbling around in the outside pocket, I withdrew my silver flip-phone and opened it. I sighed in disappointment, reading the screen. No calls, no voicemails, no texts. I threw the phone back into my bag, not wanting to keep returning to it expectantly. I dug around in the main part of the bag for a moment before finding something I really wanted.

"I almost forgot I packed this." I smiled, pulling out my headphones and Walkman.

"Crystal Bowl" was the cassette inside, and a bit of Fish-Styx sounded pretty relaxing. I put on the headset and pressed play.

_i Well tell me, tell me where I'm goin', I don't know where I've been,_

_Tell me, tell me, won't you tell me, and then tell me again, _

_My heart is breaking, my body's aching, and I don't know where to go,_

_So tell me, tell me, won't you tell me, I've just gotta' know. /i_

And without warning, my five minute break was up. That familiar tightening swept across my entire body, causing me to gasp in surprise. I balled the bedsheets in my fists, squeezed my eyes shut, and desperately tried to concentrate on the song lyrics. I did not want to have to resort to using the stupid troll. I let out hissing, rhythmic breaths between clenched teeth. The music would distract me for a moment, only for my pain dial to be turned up a little bit further. I was on the brink of an outburst, when my body finally relaxed.

I stretched my cramping hands and reopened my eyes, only to be given a heart attack when I realize the chair next to my bed was occupied.

"Hi." Marlene mouthed, but I couldn't hear her over the music. I turned off the Walkman and removed my headphones.

"How…how long have you been there?" I asked, my heart still racing.

"Just a minute or so." She shrugged.

"Wait, did you see me when I was just…?"

"I wanted to help, but I didn't want to scare you. You didn't hear me come in." She said.

"Well, you scared me anyway." I chuckled half-heartedly.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Hang on, how did you find me?"

"Followed the screams of agony." Marlene smirked.

"I wasn't…at least, I don't think-"

"Kidding. I asked the receptionist."

"Oh. Right. You were joking. Of course."

"I see we both came in our robes. Sounds like a theme party. Except I don't get a lovely complementary gown."

"You don't want one. Trust me." I said, adjusting the gown's tight neckline.

I glanced at Marlene, seeing that even in the middle of the night she somehow looked amazing. Her hair was pulled into a loose ponytail, and there were small frizzy strands sticking out all over the place. A long, yellow, button-up sweater, not exactly a robe, was draped over her green shoulders, partially concealing a white tank-top.

"Why are you here?" I asked, prying my eyes off her.

"You asked me to be." She said plainly.

"I know, but you were so hesitant initially."

"Well, I thought it over, and you were kinda' right. Even if I'm not going to be in her life, I suppose it'd be nice to at least see her once. Hold her, maybe. At least so you can tell her I was actually here." Marlene said.

"I guess that makes sense."

I spaced out for a moment, looking down at my stomach, idly feeling the monitor that was belted across my midriff. I'd almost forgotten it was there.

"Dan? You OK?" Marlene asked, bringing me back to the present.

"Fine. A bit tired, though." I smiled wanly.

"Wait, you aren't alone here," she asked, "are you?"

"Mm, no. My friends, Marc and Cora, just went to get…what's it called, uh, coffee. They may really wale into you when they get back." My lack of sleep was messing with my head.

"I'm pretty sure I can hold my own if needed. I'm a tough girl. Whoa, wait, they left you alone?" She arched an eyebrow.

"Much to my relief. It was nice having a few minutes of quiet. They keep nagging me, or at least Cora does."

"About what, pray tell?" She smirked again.

"Getting some pain relief. Drugs, or what have you."

"You're going natural? I must say, Baldwin, I didn't think you the type."

"Not my choice, I promise you. Thing is, I'm allergic to at least half of the ingredients in the drug used during an epidural. All of my other choices, given by IV or by inhalation, would make me…foggy, you know, woozy. I didn't want that effect. I want to be alert when she-"

My sentence was cut off by the onset of yet another contraction. It was like some sadistic timer going off in my body that would reset after my 60 seconds of torture were up. I instinctively grabbed Marlene's open palm, and clamped down a bit harder than I'd meant to.

"Uh, OK, OK. Just...just breathe. You're doing great." Marlene scrambled to say, going for a "by-the-book" coaching method. Using her spare hand, she gently rubbed the small of my back.

I suddenly remembered my focal point, and I forced myself to stare at the stupid troll. I went through a bout of rhythmic breathing, my eyes boring holes into that freaking little mutant. But it was useless, and I eventually gave in to some deep moaning to replace the breathing..

'Why in hells bells didn't I practice this crap? Why didn't I just assume that, just my luck, I'd be allergic to the Coddamn epidural?!' I cursed myself.

"What in Cod's name are you staring at so intently?"

"Stupid gnome! Flipping focal point!" Was all I could get out between the groaning.

"Oh. Well, whatever works." Marlene said, pressing a bit firmer into my spine. It felt spectacular.

"Marley…do you…smell coffee?" I breathed, coming down from the pain.

We both craned our heads to peer at the entrance to the room. Sure enough, Marc and Cora were awkwardly squeezed into the entryway, Marc holding a tray of paper coffee cups.

"We come bearing gifts of sweet, sweet java." Cora said, settling herself on the couch at the other side of the room.

"None for me, thank you." I mumbled tiredly.

"Well, duh, we wouldn't give you any coffee. Talk about poor timing." Cora said.

"Good thing I bought more than two. M'lady?" Marc said, offering Marlene a cup.

"Thank you." She said, sounding a bit surprised at the generosity. Even I was a bit shocked at how unfazed they were to see her.

"So, did your water break?" Cora asked, nonchalantly sipping her drink.

"Sadly, no. I did, however, have 3 different contractions while you two went on your adventure." I frowned.

"Nurse do a dilation check again?" Marc asked.

"Uh'uh," I shook my head. "I eyeballed it myself, it seems a bit wider, but not all that different. I don't know; I really hate looking at it."

"So, what's the plan, Dan?" Cora asked.

"Mm…wait, I suppose." I muttered, completely exhausted.

Marc shrugged, and proceeded to relax on the sofa next to Cora.

"I guess wait is all you really can do, Baldy." Marlene said, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

I gave her a small smile, dismayed at how painfully true that statement was.


End file.
